Ajax legend Ronald de Boer was taken aback by the performances of Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt in the Champions League last season, even after coaching the pair through the club’s famous youth system.
De Boer, who won five Eredivisie titles and the Champions League with Ajax in the 1990s, is assistant coach with the club’s primary youth side, coaching one of the most exciting crops of players to come through the Dutch giants.
The hype around the pair has been more than justified with Ajax coming within a swipe of Lucas Moura’s boot of the Champions League final, with the duo's big-money moves to Barcelona and Juventus following soon after.