The transfer of Dutch winger Derk Boerrigter from Ajax to Celtic came as a bit of a surprise to many in both Scotland and the Netherlands, but the reported £2m move is one which will benefit both the player and his new club immensely. The 26-year-old is a fast, skilful and strong player with good technical and crossing ability. He has a powerful left foot and is, of course, best utilised on the left-wing, however, he can also create a lot of danger from the right flank as his other foot is strong too. He also offers an extra threat at set-pieces in dangerous areas, having scored four free-kicks in the Eredivisie. Boerrigter is very much an attack-minded winger, and, although he will track back to help out when Celtic are on the back foot, his defensive work is one of the weaker aspects of his game. The reported fee is a good price for the winger as, although his potential resale value is obviously not great, he will add a lot to Neil Lennon’s side as he comes with experience of playing in a top flight and in the Champions League. Coming from a league and a country which produces talented young players at an exceptional rate, Boerrigter was a bit of a late bloomer. At one point it looked like he would never reach the very elite level of Dutch football having fallen out of the famous Ajax youth academy and joining now-bankrupt Eerste Divisie side HFC Haarlem on loan halfway through the 2006-07 season. Following the short stint at Haarlem, Boerrigter was then shifted on to another second-tier side as he joined FC Zwolle on a free after his contract with Ajax expired. At nearly 21 years old, this was the first time he had been able to break into the first team of a club. He became a success with the Blauwvingers and the club were happy to activate the option to keep him for another year. Zwolle finished in fourth place in those two years and would eventually be promoted to the Dutch top flight under Art Langeler in 2012, but Boerrigter would already be a big name in the Eredivisie by that time. In the summer of 2009, he opted to join newly-promoted RKC Waalwijk to finally get that taste of life in the Eredivisie he had been looking for since his days at Ajax. The Waalwijk side had a rather moderate budget and the free signing of Boerrigter turned out to be a big one, as he went on to score seven league goals. RKC finished bottom in the league that season, but they would bounce back immediately, winning the league the following year. Boerrigter was an even more integral part of the team that year, pitching in with 18 goals in his 33 league appearances and setting up a further 14. During that campaign, he caught the attention of his old team and reigning champions Ajax and was eventually brought back to Amsterdam by coach Frank de Boer. Boerrigter enjoyed a great start to life in the red and white. In his first four league games he had scored three and grabbed one assist from the left-wing as he linked up well with targetman Kolbeinn Sigthorsson and right-winger Miralem Sulejmani. After 13 weeks of the campaign, Boerrigter had scored four league goals and assisted a further four, and had even put in some respectable performances in the Champions League. However, it all came to an end halfway through November as a back injury left him sidelined for the next 15 rounds of the season. The 25-year-old returned to play another four games, in which he scored twice, but missed the final two match of the season as the injury returned. Ajax went onto win the Dutch league again that season and, although Boerrigter was only part of 50% of it, his input was invaluable. The 2012-13 season however, was quite different. The back problems alleviated as de Boer’s training structure changed and the muscle problems which plagued the squad throughout that campaign were all but wiped out. But with newly emerging talents Viktor Fischer, Tobias Sana and Jody Lukoki, plus the returning Ryan Babel to contend with for a spot on the wings, competition for a place in the starting XI was more intense. Nevertheless, Boerrigter was involved in 30 of the 34 league games for Ajax, but 13 of those were substitute appearances and his performances were not as electrifying as in the previous year. To put that into perspective, then 18-year-old Fischer was breaking into the first-team and in his 23 league appearances he played more minutes in the Eredivisie than Boerrigter. Although five goals is a good return for a winger, he had various complaints to make. The 26-year-old moaned that he wasn’t starting and that he wasn’t getting the service from his team-mates that he had enjoyed the year before. He missed midfielder Theo Janssen, who had left to join Vitesse in the summer, as he was the player who knew how to pass the ball to him and use his speed, according to Boerrigter himself. Despite being involved in the 30 league games, all six Champions League matches and the two Europa League fixtures, it wasn’t a fantastic season for the player in personal terms. Uncertainty loomed over his future as the season reached its climax and it carried on throughout the summer. He had one year left on his contract with Ajax and he wanted it extended, but de Boer insisted it was up to the player to prove he was worth it. As far as the coach was concerned, Boerrigter hadn’t had a good season and 19-year-old starlet Fischer was one step ahead of him. It’s important to understand, though, the thinking of De Boer and Ajax in this scenario. Fischer is an exceptional talent and it is widely believed he is capable of blossoming into a world class winger. The reigning Eredivisie champions also have Bojan coming in from Barcelona on loan, meanwhile Sana is still available and 18-year-old Lucas Andersen is an exciting player who is expected to play more this season. De Boer is very much focused on bringing young players through from the Ajax youth squad, so where it makes sense to bring a young player through, the former Barcelona defender will do so. Of the entire senior squad, Christian Poulsen is the only player over 27 years old. Of those players at the age of 27, one is the undisputed goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer, who may not be undisputed for very long with young Jasper Cillessen waiting for his chance, Niklas Moisander is the key left-sided central defender, Eyong Enoh is no longer part of De Boer’s plans, Lasse Schone holds a place in the midfield and the other is Boerrigter himself. Only three out of those five are required, everyone else in the entire squad barring Poulsen is in their early 20s. So it makes sense for de Boer to wait before extending the contract of a player who will likely be displaced by another youngster within a year, maybe even sooner, especially when money is so tight. How much Ajax will make from transfers this season remains to be seen as Christian Eriksen, Toby Alderweireld and Siem de Jong all remain in the team, while De Boer and technical director Marc Overmars insist the club won’t spend more than €6 million on a single player. Despite the problems he had in the last season with Ajax, Boerrigter is a very talented and hard working player. The move to Celtic gives him a fresh start and the chance to play in the Champions League once again. He will be a bright addition to the Scottish champions and his experience in Europe’s most prestigious club competition will benefit Celtic, too. With his accurate and dangerous crosses, he will link up well with Georgios Samaras and Amido Balde. The acquisition of Boerrigter is a wise move from Celtic and the player comes at a good price. He will add a lot to the attacking options of the team and is talented enough to be a success at the Glasgow club.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Jul 2013 20:53:17 +0000
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