Ooijer heading home to Ajax
Monday, August 9, 2010
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André Ooijer has signed for AFC Ajax – where he was a trainee up until 1994 – to be reunited with Martin Jol, the coach with whom he won the Dutch Cup while at Roda JC.
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Netherlands defender André Ooijer has signed for AFC Ajax to be reunited with his one-time Roda JC coach Martin Jol.
The 36-year-old has agreed a one-season contract having left PSV Eindhoven as a free agent. Ooijer, who rose through the Ajax ranks until the age of 20, said: "Of course I am happy. This is where I started and came through the youth system. I have had a good time with PSV, but after they released me I waited for interest. Martin Jol phoned me to tell me I could be of great value to Ajax."
After leaving Ajax in 1994, Ooijer made his professional debut with FC Volendam and 12 months later moved to Roda where, in his second season, Jol took charge and led them to victory in the 1997 Dutch Cup. Ooijer then joined PSV where in a nine-year spell he won five Eredivisie titles. He returned to Eindhoven last summer after three campaigns at Blackburn Rovers FC. The centre-back took his total of senior Netherlands caps to 55 in their FIFA World Cup quarter-final win against Brazil.
Last term's Eredivisie runners-up Ajax face FC Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Champions League play-off round on 17 and 25 August, having knocked out PAOK FC on away goals. They previously signed forward Mounir El Hamdaoui from AZ Alkmaar.
