I keep thinking back to the 2015/2016 season. A 31-year-old John Heitinga returned to Ajax, convinced he still had a lot to offer the club. But Frank de Boer preferred the young Joël Veltman and Jaïro Riedewald as the defensive duo, leaving club hero “Sjonnie”, the lost 'Godenzoon', on the bench.
Fans hoped for a fairytale comeback, the homegrown warrior returning to lead the defense once more. But it quickly became obvious that his body, especially his knee, just wasn’t up for it anymore. Everyone saw it, but no one really said it out loud. Because nobody wanted to ruin the fairytale.
Heitinga pushed back against criticism in an interview with Algemeen Dagblad in October 2015 where he was compared to the much older André Ooijer (36): “I’m only 31, I’m still hungry. I’ve played thirteen seasons with this knee. I know what I can do. I don't care what the outside world has to say.” And that was the heartbreaking part: the desire was still there… the ability (and the self-reflection) just wasn’t.
There was that one sleepy game vs. De Graafschap, he came on late as a sub, the Arena half jokingly started chanting “Alle ballen op Sjonnie” and then boom, he scored the 2-0 header. A fleeting moment of nostalgia. A final little spark. “Alle ballen op Sjonnie, alle ballen op Sjonnie!" the whole stadium sings together now.
He played only three matches that season, all as a late substitute. In February 2016, he announced his immediate retirement. And as much as we loved him, everyone felt that subtle sense of relief: the hero finally understood what we had already realized.
And now, here we are again: The hero returned once more. Full of belief, desire, carrying the DNA of the club… yet again facing a growing gap between who he was and what Ajax needs.
How long until he realizes it this time?
AD interview: https://www.ad.nl/nederlands-voetbal/heitinga-weerlegt-heb-met-deze-knie-13-jaar-gevoetbald~aaf4c6d4/
De terugkeer van Heitinga (Beelden van Ajax Ventos): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrlkiDLA2U0
by Perfect-Sandwich2460
1 Comment
Dit is zo treffend. Echt heel mooi verwoord. Als hij echt zoveel van Ajax houdt, moet hij inzien dat het niet werkt, en niet tegen beter weten in doorgaan.