Player hints he had been ‘looking forward’ to Spurs exit for 18 months before it happened

Speaking to Dutch publication De Telegraaf, former Tottenham forward Steven Bergwijn has expressed his relief at joining Ajax this summer.

Bergwijn signed a five-year deal with Ajax after Spurs accepted an offer of £26.4 million for the 24-year-old (Sky Sports).

The former PSV Eindhoven star made 84 appearances during his two-and-a-half-year stint at Spurs (Transfermarkt). However, he struggled to maintain consistent performance levels or cement himself in the consistent starting eleven.

Bergwijn had already dropped hints as to his future before the transfer window opened, suggesting to Dutch newspaper Algameen Dagblad that he was open to a move away to secure regular minutes.

Having now secured that move, the Dutch international has opened up on the period during which he had been hoping to negotiate an exit from N17.

He said (De Telegraaf): “I have been looking forward to this for a year and a half. I’m glad everything is over, and I’m rid of the uncertainty. Now I have peace in my head.

“I had already dealt with Ajax about my contract, but then the clubs still had to come to an agreement. That was down to me. When you’re on holiday, you’re thinking about what will happen. I was away, but I couldn’t relax completely.

“Although I didn’t play enough at Tottenham Hotspur, he [Van Gaal] called me up for the important qualification matches against Montenegro and Norway, he let me play in Montenegro and I was in the starting line-up against the Norwegians.

“It’s just better if I play week in, week out. Physically it is difficult to play three matches a week at the World Cup if you have not made enough minutes at your club.”

Spurs Web Opinion

It is clear that letting Stevie go was the correct decision for all parties and I’m happy knowing that he is content in Amsterdam. He is a talented winger and will likely go on to do great things with Ajax and the Dutch national side.

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