SEEDORF: AJAX AMSTERDAM CAREER PROBED

Dutchman Clarence Seedorf began his professional football career at Ajax Amsterdam in his homeland. Seedorfwas a product of the popular Ajax Amsterdam Academy and he started his career as a right-sided midfielder in the early 90s. He made his professional debut in Ajax colours as a teenager in 1992. Clarence Seedorf was aged 16 years and 242 days when he played his first game for Ajax during the Legaue game against Groningen thus making him the youngest player ever to represent the Dutch Eredivisie giants at the time.

Clarence Seedorf wasted no time in establishing himself as a first-team regular at Ajax under the watchful eyes of manager Louis Van Gaal. In his second season in the Ajax first team, he helped his team win three major trophies namely the Dutch Super Cup, the Dutch Cup and the Dutch Eredivisie title. While he was at Ajax, Seedorf lined up alongside his idol Frank Rijkaard.

In his third season with the Ajax first-team squad, Seedorfplayed his part as the team finished the season with the Dutch Super Cup and the Dutch Eredivisie title in addition to the Champions League title which was won by beating Italian Serie A side AC Milan 1-0 in the final thanks to the late goal from Dutchman Patrick Kluivert. Seedorf played 53 minutes of the final clash with the Rossoneri before he was replaced by Nigerian striker KanuNwankwo.

While he was at Ajax, Clarence Seedorf was part of a three-man group alongside Edgar Davids and Patrick Kluivert before the duo of Winston Bogarde and Michael Reiziger joined to make it a quintet at the 1996 European Championships.

Seedorf left Ajax Amsterdam to join Italian team Sampdoria as a free agent in 1995 and he spent just one season at the club before Real Madrid snapped him up in the summer of 1996.