Morocco's Abdellah Ouazane is just 17, yet he has lit up pre-season with Ajax Amsterdam. His coach now sees him as a key first-team player for the rest of the campaign.
The Moroccan midfielder scored the winner in the Dutch side's latest match (2/1), earning praise from coach Michel. "His performance was excellent. He needs to keep developing, but I saw that he is a player capable of helping us," he said.
The attacking midfielder keeps developing at pace. He came close to joining Real Madrid last year, but the club eventually pulled out and Ouazane renewed his contract until 2028.
"Returning to Ajax was the best choice for me. I'm extremely happy," the player said.
Captain of Morocco's youth teams, Ouazane made his first Ajax first-team appearance last season in the Dutch Cup. He ranked among the reserve team's most-used players under coach Michel during pre-season (227 minutes), and his form has been striking. In the Conference League qualifying tie against Vojvodina, he came on in the 72nd minute and scored the goal that sealed a 1-4 win.
Ouazane turns 18 on 15 January. Sporting director Jordi Cruyff plans to hand him a new contract on the very same day, according to the newspaper "De Telegraaf".
Against Burnley, he lined up in midfield alongside Jeneiro Johnson (19) and Mokio (18) in the number 10 shirt. In the 67th minute, he pounced on a Kohnado attack to score.
"Everyone says I'm talented, but now I want to prove it and become a real player in this sport," the Moroccan said afterwards.
Real Madrid is now in the past for Ouazane. His focus rests entirely on his future with Ajax.
"I'm young, patient, and I have to work hard. Left, left, right, 10, 8, 6. I don't care which position," he said.
"I want to focus on playing in matches and being patient... I'm only 17 years old, and I have my own goals and ambitions," he added.