What if Ajax had retained their best players in the last decade?

#3 Midfield

Wesley Sneijder is the first midfielder that comes to mind when we think of current players from Ajax. The Dutch star spent five seasons at the Eredivisie club and won a host of individual trophies such as the Ajax Talent of the Future in his debut season in 2002 and the Ajax Player of the Year in his final season in 2007.

Although he won just one league title, he has had a successful career with Real Madrid and especially Inter Milan where he won a treble in 2010. Forever linked to Manchester United, he now plies his trade at Turkish Super Lig club Galatasaray.

In defensive midfield, Manchester United’s Daley Blind gets the nod. Apart from winning the same awards Sneijder has won (in 2008 and 2013), he also took home the Dutch Footballer of the Year award in 2014 before sealing a move to Old Trafford.

At United, he has played in a variety of roles from midfield to left-back to centre-back, displaying his versatility on the pitch under the guidance of former Ajax boss Louis van Gaal.

Another Ajax prodigy who has played at Real Madrid and also Tottenham is Rafael van der Vaart. The attacking midfielder was a star when he was still a teenager, with many dubbing him the next Johan Cruyff!

Rafael van der Vaart Ajax — Rafael van der Vaart

Five years at Ajax saw him score 63 goals winning two league titles and countless individual awards, including the first ever Golden Boy award (best U21 player in Europe’s top leagues) in 2003. With over a 100 caps for Netherlands, Van der Vaart lost his way following his stint at Tottenham and now plays for La Liga’s mid-table club Real Betis.