With Ajax academy youth teams having lunch around her, Van Asten takes her place in the canteen at sports complex de Toekomst. Now nineteen-years-old, Van Asten grew up in Mijdrecht as the youngest in a family of five, with two older brothers. Sport was always a constant at home. "They’re the reason I started playing football", she explains. What began as something natural soon grew into something inseparable from her life. "In the end, I never wanted to stop. Football really became a part of who I am", she says with a smile.
Van Asten began playing football at CSW Wilnis. She started out in the girls’ team, where she quickly showed her talent. At the age of nine, she became Dutch street football champion in the 4-a-side format. Soon after, she made the switch to playing with the boys. The pace was higher and the game more physically demanding, but Van Asten felt at home. Among the boys, she experienced being accepted on the basis of her ability. "I noticed that I was really welcomed by them because of my qualities. I had a brilliant time there", she recalls. During Ajax Women's match against PSV at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in November 2025, her former teammates were in the stands cheering her on.
Validation
Although Van Asten has always enjoyed playing football, there comes a moment when she realises she might be more than 'just good'. That moment arrives when she receives her first call-up to the Netherlands youth teams. "That’s when you start to think: maybe I’m actually better than I thought", she says with a laugh. It is a form of validation that goes beyond encouragement at home. “Your parents will always tell you you’re good, of course, but this gave me real confirmation.”
She also notices her development accelerating at club level, where she is often among the standout players on the pitch. Through scouting, the defender joins Generation One, a programme focused on accelerating talent development in women’s football. Making her debut for the Netherlands youth side feels like further confirmation. "That’s when I thought: there’s definitely something in this."
Her move to Ajax comes relatively late. She joins the academy in the 2022/2023 season at the age of fifteen, while many of her peers have already been part of elite setups for some time. Alongside Xanne Kip, she is playing at Generation One when a coach tells them Ajax could be the next step. She is given the opportunity to train with the Ajax Under-16s, followed by a trial with the Under-19 Talent Team. Not long afterwards, she receives a phone call that changes everything: Chantal de Ridder and Loïs Schenkel inform her that she will officially join the Under-19s. “It all happened very quickly. A real dream come true.”
What immediately stands out to her within Ajax's academy is the way of working. The focus is not only on winning, but above all on development. "It starts with enjoyment. The emphasis is much less on performance. Talent development is the main focus, that’s really the common thread throughout the academy." Van Asten explains. This approach helps her settle in quickly. "If you’re enjoying yourself, everything becomes much easier. I still carry that with me, even when things get tough." With the Ajax Women Under-19, she eventually goes on to become Dutch champion twice.
Knee injury
That mindset also helps her through difficult periods, because not everything goes smoothly. Shortly after completing her first year at Ajax, Van Asten suffers a serious knee injury: a blow both physically and mentally. "It was a difficult period. You don’t know where you stand or what your future will bring", she recalls.
Everything suddenly comes to a halt. "At first I thought: I just want to play football. Everyone kept saying it would make me stronger, but that's the last thing you want to hear at that moment", she says honestly. "It's tough, but you do learn a lot from it. You also appreciate the moments when you’re back on the pitch much more than people who are never injured. There’s something beautiful in that, and I’m very grateful for it."
Harvard University
Shortly before her injury, a special message arrives: scouts from Harvard University, one of the most prestigious universities in the world, express their interest. Harvard, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, combines academic excellence with an extensive sports programme. Its admission standards are extremely high: only the best students in the world secure a place, making the opportunity particularly special. The university has 42 sports teams, including a women's football team with a full-time staff. This team competes in the American collegiate athletics system, the Ivy League.
Debut
Despite her injury, her progress at Ajax does not go unnoticed. After months of rehabilitation, in the spring of 2025, the encouraging news arrives: Van Asten is promoted to the first team. "It gave me certainty and the space to fully focus on my recovery. That was truly a bright spot in an otherwise dark period", she says.
In May 2025, she signs her first professional contract with Ajax and then makes her unofficial debut on August 30 in a friendly against Paris Saint-Germain, a moment that coincides with her return from the knee injury. "It actually felt like my real debut", she reflects. It is a match against top-level opposition, with a familiar face on the pitch: "I played against Romée Leuchter in that game, who used to play here. That was a really special moment."
On September 6, 2025, she makes her official debut against ADO Den Haag, starting in the line-up straight away. Wearing shirt number five, he grows into a regular during her first season, having made twenty official appearances already and scoring twice. Her first goal came against GC Frauenfussball in the return leg of the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup qualifying round, while the second was an important equaliser against PSV in the middle of the title race.
For Van Asten, the enjoyment that was emphasised so strongly in the academy also becomes a guiding principle in the next stage of her career. Even now, playing in the first team where performance matters more than ever, that foundation remains. "Even when you have to perform, enjoyment remains an important part of football."
Football as a profession
Van Asten's contract at Ajax is not only a personal milestone, but also a reflection of the growing development of women’s football. Where players in the past often needed a (part-time) job alongside their sport, it is increasingly becoming the norm for football to be a full-time profession for women as well.
At Ajax, this professionalisation is clearly visible: the women's team has its own main sponsor in ABN AMRO and is supported by several brands, such as Atelier Munro, which outfits the players on matchdays. For Van Asten, this development feels self-evident, even though she barely thought about it before. "When I was playing in the youth teams, even at Ajax, I never really thought: this is going to be my job. I was always a bit 'go with the flow'."
Combining elite sport and studies
Alongside her football career, Van Asten studies Criminology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Criminology focuses on explaining and analysing crime and criminal behaviour. "I initially also enrolled in Law, but Criminology felt more tangible. I do like law, but mainly criminal law, and that naturally leads you towards criminology", she explains.
Balancing elite sport and studying is demanding. Mornings are fully dedicated to training, often six times a week, while afternoons are reserved for her studies. "It's really nice to do alongside football. It just gets a bit intense during exam periods." Thanks to her status as a top-level athlete, she is exempt from many lectures and seminars, but everything still has to be organised independently. “You really have to take initiative and plan everything yourself", she says. Studying also provides mental balance. "If things are going less well in football, I can still get satisfaction from my studies. It helps me stay focused and keep developing myself."
Future
From that mindset of continuing to develop herself, Van Asten looks ahead to the goals she wants to achieve in the future, both on and off the pitch. In footballing terms, she aims to establish herself as a regular starter at Ajax and eventually attract interest from clubs abroad. "The Dutch league is good, but ultimately also limited. If you look at England, for example, that’s really a league I would like to go to. That’s a dream I want to achieve." As for the Netherlands national team, she is clear: "That's a given. If those two goals come true, I would say my football career is pretty complete."
She also wants to continue her studies and enjoy the process she is going through at Ajax. "Maybe it’s not about making your debut for the national team or making a transfer abroad. I mainly just want to keep enjoying the fact that I’m playing for Ajax right now, where I am in my career, and that I’m fit. That’s what really matters. I try to learn and grow every day, both on and off the pitch. You have to follow your heart and do what makes you happiest."
