Owen Wijndal appears to have revived his Ajax career. The left-back was once on the verge of leaving Amsterdam, but now starts under Míchel Sánchez. There is even talk of a return to the Netherlands national team.
In 2022, Ajax paid €10 million for Wijndal, who played regularly in his first year in Amsterdam. His playing time then dwindled, and a loan spell at Royal Antwerp FC followed.
Wijndal returned to Ajax but had to play second fiddle to Jorrel Hato at left-back. Hato's departure for Chelsea brought him back into contention, but the arrivals of Caio Henrique and Jofre Torrents appeared to leave him without a role. He looked set to leave last summer, but a transfer never materialised.
A few months later, Wijndal is a fixture in Ajax's defence. He recently impressed away at FC Groningen, then scored and provided an assist against FC Midtjylland (1-6).
Marciano Vink praised Wijndal on Voetbalpraat . "He had more or less been cast aside and was allowed to leave. He trained with Jong Ajax to keep himself reasonably fit. But then you see what can happen if you keep believing."
During Thursday's emphatic Conference League win, the travelling Ajax fans even chanted "Wijndal in the Netherlands team". "That's how crazy football is," concluded Vink, who noted that Wijndal last played for the Netherlands in 2021.
"What he brings now is an awful lot of energy. That hasn't been the case for a long time. There was a question over whether Youri Baas might have to play there. Caio Henrique has arrived, but that hasn't quite worked out either," said the pundit.
In the final year of his Ajax contract, Wijndal has not heard anything about a possible new deal. The left-back says he is open to staying in Amsterdam longer.