Their name dares you to dream, their majestic stadium invites you to be inspired.
Ajax of Amsterdam, with those iconic white-and-red shirts, a renowned philosophy and a back catalogue of legends, is a club for which any footballer should want to play.
Jordan Henderson knows his sport inside out. When Liverpool faced Ajax in the Champions League in October 2022, he was taken aback by the ear-splitting support, the flag waving ceremony and the dazzling light show the fanatical local fans produced before kick-off.
Thing is, Liverpool – who were in the middle of a desperate run of form – won that game eventually in a canter.
History and reputation was no help to Ajax that night and, in the 16 months since, all that went before in the glory years has been a millstone around their necks.
Jordan Henderson has signed for Ajax but their glory days seem a long way distance right now
Henderson claimed that the decision to leave the Saudi club after only six months was best for him and his family
Ajax legend Johan Cruyff, wearing a Juventus shirt, receives the European Cup in 1973. Ajax beat the Italian side 1-0 in the final in Belgrade, making it a hat-trick of wins
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Henderson has joined Ajax, having terminated his contract with Al-Ettifaq, but the difference between past and present is stark.
The club for whom he has signed until June 2026 are in turmoil and switching from Saudi Arabia to The Netherlands provides no guarantee of success.
A reminder of how bad this season has been: in September, a game against their hated rivals Feyenoord was abandoned after Ajax fans stormed the Cruyff Arena in protest at how badly the club had been run, throwing flares and kicking doors.
Four days after that, Sven Mislintat – once of Arsenal – was removed as Director of Football with questions over a number of signings.
They following month, as they slithered into the relegation zone, coach Maurice Steijn was sacked. He’d only been in charge for four months.
The situation was awful but worse would come. USV Hercules, an amateur club with students in their team, knocked Ajax out of the Dutch Cup.
It was one of the most incredible results in the country’s history and De Telegraaf, the respected newspaper, unleashed fury and condemnation.
‘Ajax is deeply ashamed of this cup disgrace,’ read a screaming headline, tapping into how the fan base felt.
England midfielder Henderson was filmed looking around Ajax’s museum after he signed
Henderson lauded Ajax’s rich history as he gave an interview in their trophy room
The club that brought the world Total Football has, for a long time, become a Total Mess. The move for Henderson – certainly on their behalf – carries a whiff of desperation.
Ajax are desperate to show their light isn’t dying, that they can continue to be relevant. It’s why they have agreed the biggest financial package in Eredivisie history, one that has been heavily incentivised with bonuses for hitting targets.
What must be achieved this season is Champions League qualification. There is no chance of them winning the title – PSV Eindhoven, with a perfect 17 wins from 17 games, are over the hill and far away – and the odds are stacked against Ajax finishing in the top three.
They sit nine points behind Twente Enschede and while form has picked up – Ajax have won their last three games – there is no guarantee they will whittle down the deficit, given there are so many questions over their squad.
Here is where it becomes an enormous challenge for Henderson, who will become just the third Englishman to represent Ajax after Ray Clarke, a revered centre-forward in the 1970s, and Chuba Akpom, who will be a familiar face in a new dressing room.
Ajax have endured a turbulent season of embarrassing defeats and personnel changes
The low point this season came when amateurs USV Hercules knocked them out the cup
Fans forced the game with Feyenoord in September to be abandoned as they protested
Police used tear gas to disperse crowds that had gathered outside the Johan Cruyff Arena
Fans started vandalising their own stadium after the game in protest at the club’s hierarchy
There has been excitement in Amsterdam about his arrival but also huge expectation: there is a demand he is the catalyst for a revival in fortunes, that he can drag the team forward with his energy and weight of personality.
He is in good physical shape but, approaching his 34th birthday, must show there is petrol in the tank.
Leaving Liverpool was a mistake but it was fuelled by a desire to keep playing.
He would not have been a regular starter for Jurgen Klopp, and was told so last spring, but he would have played upwards of 15 games already this season and perhaps, in time, there will be recognition that the decision to leave was made in haste.
It is remarkable to think the man who led Liverpool to their first title in 30 years and captained them in three Champions League finals left through the backdoor, rather than seeing out the final 12 months of his contract and saying goodbye to Anfield properly this May.
Much has happened and much has been said since last July and, as a result, his every move is going to be scrutinised from this point.
Henderson’s place in Gareth Southgate’s England team for Euro 2024 is far from assured
Gareth Southgate will be watching – the pair have an outstanding relationship – but so, too, will the critics who believe the England squad can move on without him.
Other clubs were interested in signing Henderson this month, most notably Juventus, but he has taken the option most fraught.
Appearances can be deceptive and while everything about Ajax from a distance is grand, look at things closely and blemishes are everywhere.
Is this the right environment for someone to restore a reputation that has taken a pummelling? Many have doubts.
Joining Ajax isn’t controversial but it comes with as many sporting hurdles as there were in the Middle East. His eyes need to be wide open for the pitfalls along the way.
