NOS Voetbal•vandaag, 06:22
Ajax talent Godts about transformation at Ajax: ‘A lot has changed’
Left winger Mika Godts woke up on Thursday morning with a wonderful feeling. The evening before, he had silenced the Rotterdam Kuip with Ajax by winning 0-2 against Feyenoord.
After just 25 minutes the final score in the Classic was on the board. “It was special,” the 19-year-old Belgian looks back. “No, I wasn’t really surprised. We were ready for it. The trainer had prepared us well with a good plan. The fact that it worked gives us a lot of self-confidence.”
It was a world of difference with how Ajax performed in De Kuip six months ago, when it lost no less than 6-0. It was the biggest defeat ever for the Amsterdam team since the introduction of professional football in 1956.
Under the leadership of new trainer Francesco Farioli, Ajax has undergone a transformation, says Godts. “A lot has changed. We started again this season. Now there is a real team on the field.”
ANPMika Godts (Ajax)
Godts himself also made a definitive breakthrough, partly thanks to the departure of Steven Bergwijn and Carlos Forbs and the breakdown of the rental deal with Kamaldeen Sulemana. Suddenly the Belgian, who came over from KRC Genk in January 2023, was the only real left winger in the selection.
No, it is not ideal for Ajax, he says. “It’s nice for a trainer to have some more options.” But secretly it is also quite nice for him. “I want to play as much as possible. Now there is no one else, so I have a better chance of playing time.”
Competition is allowed
What would he think if another competitor was added to the selection during the winter break? He laughs. “That’s always allowed. If I end up on the couch, then so be it.”
Ajax-PSV at NOS
The kick-off at Ajax-PSV is on Saturday evening at 6.45 pm. The competition can be followed on NOS via a live blog on NOS.nl and the NOS app and via Langs de Lijn on NPO Radio 1.
A short summary can be seen online immediately after the match, a longer one at Studio Sport Eredivisie at 11:07 PM on NPO 1.
Godts sticks to what he calls “his plan”. “That is very clear. I just have to make my actions, be threatening, score goals, provide assists.” He is not bothered by pressure. “I know that a lot is expected of me, but that is always the case at Ajax. I can still learn a lot.”
He learns a lot from experienced players such as Chuba Akpom, Bertrand Traoré and Steven Berghuis. How to finish, for example. He has scored four times so far. “I think I’m doing fine, but I could have made many more. Another one against Feyenoord.”
Advice
What advice did he receive afterwards? “They said that perhaps I should have chosen the other corner. A bit higher and harder. I can really get a lot more out of such opportunities than I do now.”
ANPMika Godts (Ajax)
The left winger likes to emulate other compatriots who made waves at Ajax at a young age, such as Thomas Vermaelen, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen. He hopes to experience the same development. The defenders eventually ended up at clubs such as Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona. “It’s great how many Belgians have broken through here.”
It was therefore not a difficult decision to make the same move to Amsterdam. “Ajax is in a good position in Belgium. It is seen as one of the biggest clubs, perhaps in the world. Still is. If we also played here with the youth, the under-16s, the under-18s… No, That was never fun.”
Scrambling to your feet
Ajax is getting back on its feet after the last disastrous season, Godts sees. Tomorrow the second top event in four days awaits. Then the Amsterdam team can reduce the gap with leader PSV at home to 5 points – with one match less played.
But the Belgian does not dare to think about the title yet. “Champion, second or third; we don’t look at that now. It will be fine.”
Because he also knows: the good feeling thanks to the Classic can quickly evaporate if PSV turns out to be a size too big on Saturday. “Yes,” Godts grins with bravado. “But I don’t think so.”
