Dennis with Aiax
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Dennis Bergkamp is a product of the world famous Ajax youth academy, which
he joined in 1981.
"THERE'S ONLY ONE DENNIS BERGKAMP, ONE DENNIS BERGKAMP,
DENNIS BERGKAMP TESTIMONIAL MATCH V AJAX JULY 22, 2006
■"If Cruyff
thinks you are
good enough
for the first
team, then
there's no one
else who has a
better idea
about
football."
For five years Dennis honed his
considerable skills in the youth set
up, in the same youth team as Bryan
Roy, Richard Witschge and the De
Boer twins - Ronald and Frank.
"As a youngster growing up near
there you always think you would
like to play for Ajax," Dennis recalls.
"There was someone at Ajax who was
connected to the junior club I was
playing for at the time and he asked
me to come along to training at Ajax,
and I stayed there from then."
Fie eventually broke into the Ajax
first team at the age of 17, coming
on for the last 20 minutes of a 2-0
win over Roda JC in December 1986.
- .v."8*
"As you progress through the
academy you improve year on
year," Dennis says, "and it gets
more competitive as you get older.
"We knew that they wanted to have
youngsters in the team, so then you
know if you are good enough then
you will get the chance.
"I remember when my chance
came. I played on the Saturday for
my youth team as usual but I got
substituted at half-time.
"I thought I was playing quite well
so I thought it was a bit strange
that I was being taken off.
"So I knew something was
happening and they told me after
the game that I would be involved
for the first team the following day.
"It was quite nerve racking. The old
Ajax Stadium, De Meer, was fantastic.
"The game was just great. The Ajax
style was to pressure the other team
and to play a quick passing game.
"I think it was 20 minutes before
the end of the game that I came on
and it was a special feeling.
"Cruyff told me just to enjoy my
football and look around me. I took
a lot of confidence from that
because if Cruyff thinks you are
good enough for the first team, then
there's no one else who has a better
idea about football.
"From that moment it all started
and I knew myself that at that time
my football career had really started
for me."
A few months later, on March 18,
1987, he made his first start for
Ajax, against Matmo. Fie went on to
win five major honours for the club
over the next seven seasons,
including the Cup Winners' Cup in
that first year.
