"What do I remember from it?" Bouwman begins, as we sit down at the De Toekomst sports complex, the place where he lifted the trophy with Ajax U17 just over two years ago. "That we won it, of course. That was the most important thing. We had a fun team and a strong team. It had already been a great year and we were all looking forward to the Future Cup. It turned into a really beautiful tournament."
The fact that the tournament is a major event within the academy is widely known, Bouwman explains. "At the Future Cup, when you were still in the younger age groups, you always saw the big talents play. You hope that one day you'll be standing there too. As a young player, I watched guys like Ryan Gravenberch, Jurriën Timber and Matthijs de Ligt at the Future Cup and thought: that’s the level I want to reach too."
Scoring against City
Bouwman thinks back and vividly remembers the opening day. "You definitely feel the nerves on the day it starts. As a U17 player you're not used to that: everyone is there for you, people clapping, the whole complex completely full. Everything is new."
Ajax U17 had a diverse group, something Bouwman believes is essential for a successful tournament. "One player is the joker, another is serious. That mix was good, and everyone was very close. You need that to go far in the Future Cup."
Manchester City at home was the opening match. Bouwman formed the centre‑back partnership with Mylo van der Lans. With Aymean El Hani in goal, Jinairo Johnson and Sean Steur in midfield, and Emre Ünüvar up front, the squad had plenty of quality. After going 0–1 down, Bouwman equalised in the pouring rain. "We started a bit slowly, went 0–1 behind, but then I scored the 1–1. We ended up winning and you can't ask for a better start. Playing in front of so many people was great. They were really behind us. Everyone was there," Bouwman says about the eventual 3–1 win over Manchester City U17.
"We stayed true to ourselves, even though we were facing Manchester City," he continues. “And it worked. After FK Partizan (1–1) and CF Pachuca (3–0 win), Ajax U17 reached the semi‑final against Paris Saint‑Germain. We beat the French side on penalties, and in the final FK Partizan awaited again. "The final day was a special day. Everyone was exhausted and we had to dig deep to find every bit of energy. The coaches helped us with that as much as possible. In the end, we pulled it over the line against FK Partizan. It was a very physical match."
The value of the Future Cup
Ajax U17 won thanks to goals from Johnson and Steur. "We knew exactly what we were playing for, and it all came together. I look back on the Future Cup very fondly. That year I won my first trophies with Ajax, so it will always be special. You know what it is: you always want to play the Future Cup."
Finally, he looks ahead to the upcoming edition, on April 4, 5 and 6 in Amsterdam. "Ajax need to make sure they work together, stay calm and channel all the energy that comes with that tournament onto the pitch. And above all: enjoy it, especially moments like these. It's a big tournament, and you're playing on the main pitch of your own club. You really have to enjoy that when you’re out there. Maybe I'll drop by to watch, if I can."
