Klaassen's Ajax adventure in the flagship side begins in Lyon on 22 November 2011. Stade de Gerland, the battleground for a delightful UEFA Champions League fixture between Olympique Lyon and Ajax. A bleak wind blows through the stadium, where an 18-year-old boy from Hilversum sits on the subs bench. In the course of the second half, the youthful lad was sent out of the dugout by coach Frank de Boer to warm up. Minute 85 arrives and the motivated Klaassen comes onto the pitch for Lorenzo Ebecilio. Over 11 years later, these appear to be the first of many minutes in Ajax 1.
Unforgettable Eredivisie debut
Klaassen will make his Eredivisie appearance five days later, on 27 November 2011. Ajax will play an away game against NEC on this memorable Sunday. The talented midfielder will once again come onto the pitch as a substitute in Nijmegen. Klaassen is calm on the pitch when he receives the ball in the NEC penalty area from Christian Eriksen. The 18-year-old midfielder fired in his first Ajax goal after about 39 seconds, making it 0-3 for Ajax. This still makes him the debutant who scored the fastest league goal for the Amsterdammers.
After this magical afternoon in the 2011/2012 season, the talented native Hilversummer played five more games for the Amsterdam main squad, including against European giants Manchester United and Real Madrid. The talented midfielder celebrated on Wednesday, 2 May, after Ajax secured their 31st national title against VVV-Venlo.
Resilience
In the 2012/2013 season, Ajax again became national champions. However, the native Hilversummer's only gets very little game time with just two Eredivisie matches, partly due to a groin injury. His ultimate breakthrough followed a year later in the 2013/2014 season.
In total, he made 36 appearances for Ajax 1 during that season, scoring 11 goals. Klaassen experienced his first championship in 2014 in which he played a major role. As the icing on the cake, the midfielder was named Talent of the Year.
Leadership
In the years that follow, Klaassen grows into a highly regarded force in Amsterdam. During preparations for the 2015/2016 season, Klaassen will be named as the new captain by head coach De Boer. In the UEFA Europa League match against Celtic (2-2) on 17 September 2015, Klaassen plays his 100th official match for Ajax. After a disappointing end to the season – in which PSV clinched the league title on the final day – Klaassen experiences some personal success. He is voted Footballer of the Year.
Peter Bosz will be appointed Ajax's new head coach in the summer that follows. Klaassen decided to stay in Amsterdam for one more season and had a strong year, making no fewer than 50 appearances for the Amsterdam main squad. During this season, he scores 20 times and provides 12 assists. Ajax reach the final of the Europa League under the management of the new head coach, in which Ajax lose against Manchester United (0-2). After the disappointing European final, Klaassen decides to move to Liverpool, where he continues his career at Everton.
Return
Klaassen returns to Amsterdam after an absence of more than three years. He will sign a four-year contract with Ajax on 5 October 2020. Whereas Klaassen was succeeded by Donny van de Beek on his previous departure from Ajax, it is now the experienced midfielder who succeeds the departed talent from Nijkerkerveen. Reunited with his close friend Daley Blind in Amsterdam, he soon manages to blend in well with the young group of players. In the first season after his return, Klaassen immediately grabs the double with Ajax and becomes Mister 1-0.
The native Hilversummer also enjoys a successful second season under head coach Erik ten Hag. Ajax once again seize the national title and win all six group matches in the UEFA Champions League.
300
Klaassen has already built a very successful career in Amsterdam so far. Over the 300 games, the 29-year-old midfielder has accumulated 89 goals and 49 assists. Klaassen joins an illustrious group with his 300th game for Ajax. Only 27 players have preceded the native Hilversummer, including teammate Maarten Stekelenburg and general manager Edwin van der Sar.
