[球星]Meyde for success
Uefa.com
Friday, 29 August 2003
By Pete Sanderson
If ever a player embodied the new generation of AFC Ajax stars it was
Andy van der Meyde.
World-class winger
Groomed at the Ajax academy and making his league debut aged 18 in 1997,
Van der Meyde was transformed from a skinny, fledgling midfield player
into a world-class Dutch international winger.
Unenviable task
When Ronald Koeman took over as Ajax coach in 2001 he was set the unenviable
task of reviving the fortunes of a club once for famed for unfurling talents
such as Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp on almost an
annual basis - and in the youngster from Arnhem, Koeman knew he had his man.
Midfield prodigy
He also acknowledged that Ajax's latest midfield prodigy, who became a regular
in 2000 after a year's loan at FC Twente, would be snapped up as soon as he
was unleashed in the shop window that is the UEFA Champions League, especially
as they reached the quarter-finals, the vital second group stage goal at AS
Roma scored by Van der Meyde.
Inter purchase
It was Internazionale FC - who beat Ajax twice in last season's Champions
League first group stage as both teams progressed - who stole in to buy the
23-year-old for an undisclosed but significant fee.
Koeman encouragement
But Koeman let Van der Meyde leave with his blessing. "With his talent it
was bound to happen," shrugged the Ajax coach. "I wanted to tell him it was
the wrong move - but I would have been lying - and who am I to stop someone
fulfilling their ambition? After all I did exactly the same when I went to
[FC] Barcelona."
'A lot to learn'
That contrast between that farewell and the welcome he received from Inter
coach Hector Cuper could hardly have been starker. "He still has a lot to
learn about the way we play football in Italy," he said. "He is not making
the right runs or delivering the right passes. It is a totally different
ball game to the one he was used to in the Netherlands."
Initial impressions
uefa.com caught up with Van der Meyde when he returned to his former Ajax
stomping ground for the pre-season Amsterdam Tournament to gauge his initial
impressions of life in Italy.
uefa.com: How big of a challenge is moving to Inter?
Andy van der Meyde: At Ajax the fans worshipped me, cheered my every pass and
basically made me feel like I was part of a big happy family. Joining Inter
has been a totally different experience. I am having to start all over again.
I have to win the fans over again and most importantly I have to please my
new manager."
uefa.com: Why did you choose to play in Italy?
Van der Meyde: I would love to be a success in Italy - I knew it was going to
be a tough challenge when I left Ajax but I am ambitious and I want to follow
the likes of Ruud Gullit, Koeman and Marco Van Basten by proving I can be a
success abroad.
uefa.com: Has it been hard to adapt to playing in Italy?
Van der Meyde: I have found the pre-season hard, learning a new language,
adapting to a different culture and playing under a manager who has asked me
to perform a role which I am unfamiliar with. But Internazionale are a huge
club with great fans and it is like a dream for me to imagine that I will
soon be walking out at the San Siro stadium to play in the Milan derby.
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多情 薄情 情繫 Ajax
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