Hakim Ziyech was left feeling emotional as Ajax gave him a heart-warming send-off ahead of his summer switch to Chelsea as he was left in tears.
The 27-year-old’s switch to Stamford Bridge has already been confirmed ahead of the summer, and it will end a glittering spell with the Dutch giants after joining them in 2016.
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In 165 appearances for Ajax, Ziyech has bagged 48 goals and 82 assists to playing a leading role in their success, and he earned the nickname of the ‘Wizard of AMS’ as a result as seen in the video below.
With the Eredivisie season being ended prematurely due to the coronavirus pandemic, an emotional Ziyech spoke about not being able to get an ideal send-off with the fans, while a pre-recorded message from his mother wishing him in London eventually reduced him to tears.
“It’s a bit strange. You know that everything comes to an end. But it’s, you know…. It’s a strange way of closing this chapter.
“No. Not what I had imagined, no. I am happy to take the next step, but you don’t want to end it like this. It feels as if you didn’t pass the exams, that’s how it feels. You’re powerless. It doesn’t feel like the season ended successfully.
“That would have been the perfect end. But unfortunately that wasn’t meant to be for me.
“Of course, I know what I’m doing it for. It’s the words your mother often says to you. My mother. “She’s a proud woman. I can see that she’s proud although she tries to hide it.
“Just knowing the hard life that she’s had, you know. She came here at a young age, raised nine kids. Eight or nine. Lost her husband too soon. And then you’re on your own. It’s all for her. I do it because I love it, but it’s all for her. If it wasn’t for her, I’d have quit football a long time ago.”
This is a brilliant insight into Ziyech’s story and to see him speak about his mum this way shows the kind of person he is too away from the pitch.
Chelsea fans will undoubtedly hope that he can light up the Bridge next season and beyond, with Frank Lampard adding a classy new attacking talent to his squad…
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Touching words from our new wizard. ?? #CFC #Ziyech pic.twitter.com/OmVJnKC4dD
— #TouchlineFracas (@ChessyHour) May 15, 2020