Tottenham proved right, with former star enduring ‘unimaginable’ decline; observer labels him ‘a sack of potatoes’
Former Tottenham players Harry Winks and Steven Bergwijn with defender Ben Davies
Former Tottenham Hotspur attacker Steven Bergwijn has been torn apart by one Dutch journalist, with his Ajax captaincy under threat amid a poor start to the season.
Bergwijn joined Tottenham from PSV in January 2020, as the North London side paid an initial £25.4million for his services. That came after the left winger enjoyed a great spell with PSV, having registered 31 goals and 41 assists in 149 appearances.
However, Bergwijn did not manage to replicate that form while in England. He showed glimpses of his talent but did not perform on a regular basis for Tottenham. When leaving Spurs for Ajax in July 2022, Bergwijn’s record stood at just eight goals and 10 assists in 83 outings.
Despite the player’s struggles in the Premier League, Spurs managed to make a slight profit when selling him. Ajax paid £26.4m when tying Bergwijn down to a five-year deal, according to Sky Sports.
The Netherlands international will have been hoping to get back to his best back in his home country. And he impressed last season, which resulted in him being given the Ajax armband over the summer.
However, like most of Ajax’s players, Bergwijn has struggled this term. The Dutch giants incredibly sit in 17th place in the league, with only FC Volendam keeping them off bottom spot.
Ajax have also struggled in the Europa League, as they sit bottom of Group B with just two points. Their dreadful results and performances saw manager Maurice Steijn lose his job on Monday.
It seems Spurs made the right choice in selling Bergwijn, as Dutch reporter Sjoerd Mossou, who writes for Voetbal Zone, has savagely criticised the 26-year-old. Mossou has even labelled him ‘a sack of potatoes’ and described his fall from grace since his Spurs spell as ‘unimaginable’.
Former Tottenham man receives brutal criticism
“Everyone agrees that Bergwijn should not be captain. Perhaps it was a clever trick to motivate him and there was hope that the penny would drop,” Mossou said.
“He has become a burden, a sack of potatoes on the back. I don’t think Josip Sutalo is great either, but he is a more logical captain than Bergwijn.
“It is unimaginable how he has sunk. Certainly, for a player worth thirty million euros. That has been a very long time, very painful.”
Ajax have placed assistant boss Hedwiges Maduro in temporary charge while they hunt for a permanent replacement for Steijn. The Amsterdam outfit are interested in Arsenal coach Albert Stuivenberg, though it remains to be seen whether Mikel Arteta is happy to let him leave.
While Bergwijn and Ajax are struggling, Spurs are thriving under new manager Ange Postecoglou. They continued their brilliant start to the Premier League season by beating Crystal Palace 2-1 on Friday night.
Despite that result, Gary Neville has outlined why he still does not think Spurs will win the title.
