Reverson: 'Returning to Ajax was the best step in my career'

We sit down on the hotel terrace. The goalkeeper begins speaking calmly. "I'm doing well. I feel at home, and I'm in the right place here. I'm happy, definitely," he smiles. "A week like this is enjoyable. Kona, Mokio, Johnson, Abdellah, Mo and Pharell, I spend time with the younger lads," he says when asked who he hangs out with during the week. “They sometimes ask me how things work here, because I’m often around."

Leaving Ajax
His step into professional football was far from straightforward. Reverson was picked up from Zeeburgia in 2013, but had to leave Ajax in 2019. "After six years, I was told I had to leave the academy. I visited a few other professional clubs, but it didn't really suit me. I ended up at AFC in Amsterdam. Then Ajax called me again in 2022. It was a bit of a strange feeling because first I had to leave the academy, and later I was invited back. I thought it was great, but I did have some doubts. In the end, returning to Ajax was the best step in my career."

Despite those difficult moments, he is self-aware. "To be honest, I was a noisy and annoying kid. I didn't always listen. But I was eager to learn, enthusiastic and always wanted to improve. That last part really helped me in my development. "I'm someone who lives every moment of the game. Every moment, every situation, I'm fully involved. But it wasn't always like that. I used to daydream quite a lot and look into the crowd. Now I'm much more focused on the game. At this level, there's no time to dream anymore. Everything happens faster, and I really made that switch."

Ajax U23
That change led to his professional debut for Ajax U23 on November 29, 2024. "Of course, that was special, and it's something you work towards. But I want to make my debut for the first team. That's what I'm working for, and I'm still waiting for that opportunity." Last season, Reverson shared the goalkeeping duties at Ajax U23 with Joeri Heerkens. One would play for Ajax U23, while the other would be on the bench for Ajax's first team that weekend. "That rotation worked well, although I sometimes found it difficult to get back into my rhythm after not playing for two weeks."

"The season was disappointing," he continues. "It was the opposite of what Ajax is normally known for because we conceded a lot of goals. In the end, I'm the goalkeeper, so I'm the one conceding them, simply put. People unconsciously tend to point at the goalkeeper. That was difficult at times."

Ghana
Reverson describes himself as a family person. His roots are in Ghana: his mother is Ghanaian, while his father is half Ghanaian and half Liberian. He also has two brothers and a younger sister. "My brothers and my father have always supported me in everything I did. My mother, too, of course, although she knows a little less about football," he laughs. "Especially during setbacks, like leaving the academy, they were a huge support."

Last summer, Reverson was invited to join Ghana's national team training camp ahead of the World Cup. "I spent ten days at a training camp in Wales with the national team. It was simply about showing what I could do and hoping I'd be selected."

"I was the second-youngest player there," he continues, with a visible sparkle in his eyes. "The group welcomed me really well and took good care of me. I'd always said I wanted to play for Ghana, so it was a childhood dream come true. When I heard I was going to the training camp, I was incredibly happy."

In the end, Reverson was not selected. "They eventually decided not to take me. When the head coach told me I wasn't going, I was obviously disappointed, but he was very positive about me. He said: as long as I'm the head coach here, I'll keep you with the first team. Looking back on it, it was a wonderful experience. I was there with them, and that made it even more special to watch them playing at the World Cup."

Back to Ajax. Back to the future. "I think I just have to wait for my opportunities and see what happens. Of course, I want to play minutes so I can keep developing. You learn the most by playing." This week, Reverson mainly wants to learn from the new coaching staff and the goalkeepers around him. "I'm trying to pick up new things from them, just like from the new goalkeepers around me. I want to exchange ideas with them and become a better goalkeeper because of it. Things like positioning when dealing with crosses." Finally, we bring up the outstanding saves he made during training that morning. He laughs. "Cat-like. That's definitely me. I'd say that's accurate."