Janse returns with a wealth of experience: 'A different environment, the same philosophy'

The 20-year-old defender lived on his own for the first time. Cooking, doing the laundry, it all comes with it. "I developed a lot there. I grew up because I had to take care of myself. But a new environment also brings new connections and new friends. And then there’s the football side of things. I played 33 official matches there. That’s incredibly valuable. You learn all the technical aspects of the game again, but in a different environment while playing with the same philosophy as here at Ajax."

"FC Groningen was a conscious choice," he continues. "The way Dick Lukkien looked at the game really appealed to me when I spoke to him before my loan spell. I also liked the way he saw me as a player. I want to play football, carry the ball forward, hit diagonal passes, break lines, and those were all things he considered important, too. It was a great match."

Having to and being allowed to
What stands out most from his year away? We ask him the question. "The first thing that comes to mind is the freedom you get to develop. Last season, we conceded a goal against Feyenoord, and I didn’t look good in that situation. At Ajax, something like that is often made into a bigger deal than it actually is, simply because of the media."

"At FC Groningen, it’s different, and that allows you to really learn from it. Of course, there’s no room for mistakes there either, but there’s a different level of acceptance. Here you have to, there you’re allowed to. That’s simply the standard at Ajax. As a young player, that’s nice. And I never made that mistake in the same way again," he laughs.

He faced Ajax three times while playing for FC Groningen. "I actually enjoyed that," he says. "But it’s still a strange feeling, especially if you look at the play-off match in Volendam. It was such a different setting, with completely different stakes. That felt odd. I can imagine some players giving a little less because they know they’ll be moving to Ajax the following season. But that’s not in me. At that moment I was playing for FC Groningen, so I gave everything for that club."

Back in Amsterdam
Ajax beat FC Groningen and eventually secured European football by defeating FC Utrecht in the play-off final. With the European qualifiers just around the corner, the Ajax players, including Janse, had to report back in Amsterdam early. "I actually thought it felt a little strange when I came back," the defender says. "These are the same people you suddenly only see three times a year when you play against Ajax. And then you’re back here, working closely together again every day. But we just picked up where we left off and continued our conversations, only now with another year of development behind us."

Since returning, Janse has also moved into his own place in Amsterdam. "Before my loan spell, I always lived with a host family, which was really great. But after spending a year living on my own and experiencing all the benefits that come with it, I wanted to continue doing that. Now I live in Amsterdam, and I’m really enjoying it. I lived in Amsterdam East with my host family, which was busy, and I also lived in the city centre in Groningen. You get used to the hustle and bustle."