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Steven Bergwijn has been doing well at Ajax

Henderson next? 7 former Premier League stars currently thriving in the Eredivisie

Ben Stewart •

Jordan Henderson recently made the switch from Al-Ettifaq to Ajax and he’ll be looking to follow in the footsteps of these seven former Premier League stars who are all currently thriving in the Eredivisie.

The former Liverpool captain didn’t have the greatest of spells in Saudi Arabia, but he now has the chance to get his career back on track with Ajax.

We’ve taken a closer look at the Eredivisie and have found seven former Premier League stars who are all currently thriving in the league.

Luuk de Jong

De Jong’s Premier League stint with Newcastle was less than memorable as he failed to score in any of his 12 appearances while on loan in England.

Fast forward to 2024 and he’s absolutely ripping things up for PSV. Over the last 18 months, he’s managed to bag 40 goals for the Eredivisie outfit with 22 of those strikes coming this season.

He’s in red-hot form right now and is well and truly in the Golden Boot race. It’s a shame he couldn’t hit a barn door with Newcastle.

Steven Bergwijn

Tottenham splashed around £27million on the Dutch winger back in 2020, but he struggled to nail down a consistent starting spot in north London.

Spurs did manage to recoup their money on Bergwijn and things probably worked out for the best as he’s now one of Ajax’s best players.

Despite the Dutch club enduring a rocky season, Bergwijn has delivered the goods more often than not. Since making his return to the Netherlands, the 26-year-old has chipped in with 24 goals and 10 assists in 66 games.

Patrick van Aanholt

Remembered fondly from his time at Sunderland and Crystal Palace, Van Aanholt has spent the last couple of seasons on loan with PSV from Galatasaray.

He’s already got his hands on two trophies with the club and is on course to win a third as PSV currently boast a 12-point lead at the top of the table.

Steven Berghuis

We’d forgive you for not remembering Berghuis from his time in the Premier League. He only managed nine substitute appearances for Watford in 2015–16 and was promptly shipped back to the Eredivisie after a disappointing spell.

Thankfully, he’s now left those struggles behind as he is now the main creative outlet for Ajax. Berghuis has chipped in with eight assists this season from just 13 matches which is good going.

Mathew Ryan

The former Arsenal and Brighton shot-stopper has done well for himself since moving to the Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar. Ryan has only conceded 10 goals this season and boasts the second-best save percentage in the league at 80.9 per cent.

He’s been a key component of an AZ side that boasts the second-best defensive record in the league and he’s made plenty of eye-catching saves this season.

Chuba Akpom

Alright, thriving is probably a stretch for Akpom, but he has done fairly well since making the switch to Ajax. The former Arsenal academy prospect earned his big-money move to the Netherlands in the summer off the back of a prolific season with Middlesbrough.

Considering Ajax haven’t exactly been firing on all cylinders this season, Akpom has done well to bag nine goals across all competitions so far.

Marco van Ginkel

The Dutch midfielder spent eight years on the books at Chelsea but only managed four appearances during that time. After various loan spells, he’s finally settled down in Vitesse.

He’s been one of the top performers at the club this season and has chipped in with six goal contributions from midfield so far.

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Jordan Henderson Premier League Eredivisie