0315.html
Andy van der Meyde extends contract until 2005
15 March: Earlier this week, Amsterdam's AT5 TV claimed that
an Andy van der Meyde departure "seemed inevitable". Today,
Ajax.nl brought good news: Ajax and Van der Meyde have come to
an agreement about an extended and improved contract. Van der
Meyde (22) will officially sign until 2005 early next week.
The right winger' current contract expires at the end of
next season. Negotiations about extension and financial
improvement commenced last week, but appeared to develop in a
rather worrying way. The gap between Ajax' offer and Van der
Meyde's demands was said to be large. Too large, according to
several Dutch media.
Technical director, Leo Beenhakker, is happy that Van der
Meyde will stay in Amsterdam for at least two or three more
seasons. "It's a good thing that we succeeded in extending
Andy's contract. We succeed in keeping talented Dutch players
for a significant period. I think that's a very positive
development indeed."
Earlier, players such as Cedric van der Gun, Rafaël van
der Vaart and Cristian Chivu underscored their ambitions with
Ajax by signing long-term contracts.
Andy van der Meyde is a typical Ajax right winger and a
product of the club's youth system. He made his debut in the
first team on 01 November, 1997 against FC Twente, the club he
was to be loaned out to in the 1999-2000 season. Before that,
Van der Meyde won the Dutch 'double' with Ajax in 1998 and
another Amstel Cup in 1999.
After his season on loan in Enschede, Co Adriaanse brought
Van der Meyde back to the Amsterdam ArenA, at the beginning of
the 2000-2001 season. He won a spot in the team and scored his
first Ajax-1 goal on 18 March, 2001, against Sparta (9-0).
So far, Andy van der Meyde played 67 official games for
Ajax, in which he scored 8 goals. This season, he played 22
games, in which his scoring average increased significantly: 4
succesful strikes in total. It underscores the spectacular
progress Van der Meyde has booked as a player.
So far, Andy van der Meyde played 25 games for several
Holland youth teams as well as Young Oranje (U21). He is
generally expected to receive his first invitation for the
'big' Oranje fairly soon. (MP)
(Source: Ajax.nl)
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