Nigerian wonderkid Gibson Yah signs first professional contract with Ajax

Gibson Yah is all smiles after signing a professional contract with AFC Ajax.AFC Ajax have offered a professional contract to Nigerian wonderkid Gibson Yah after an outstanding string of displays in the colours of Jong Ajax.

Also referred to as Ajax II or Ajax 2, Jong Ajax are the reserve team of the four-time European champions and they compete in the Dutch Eerste Divisie – the Dutch second division.

Yah, whose full name is Gibson Osahumen Yah, and whose parents are of Nigerian descent, is delighted to pen his first professional contract with the Dutch side, saying they are “the most beautiful club in Holland,” in a deal that will see him play for the Dutch giants until June 2022, with an option for an additional year.

The highly-rated 18-year old midfielder joins the first team after impressing for Jong Ajax. His progress through the ranks of the youth team to the first team has been applauded, and the youngster hopes to make use of this opportunity.

The priority in the transfer window in recent seasons for De Godenzonen (Dutch for the Sons of the Gods), as Ajax are fondly called, has been to bring in young talent before they reach their peak, allowing them to rise in their value at the club before selling them for a fortune.

The likes of current and former stars such as Matthijs de Ligt, Donny van de Beek, Kasper Dolberg, Frenkie de Jong, Johan Cruijff, Ruud Krol, Marco van Basten, Frank de Boer, Ronald de Boer, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert, Edwin van der Sar, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids, Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart, Thomas Vermaelen, Jan Vertonghen, and Christian Eriksen all fall into this category.

The 18-year old Yah, who is currently down with an injury, is concentrating all his efforts on recovering as fast as he can so he can start the process of breaking into the first team and delivering top performances on the pitch as quickly as possible.

“I want to become a reliable player at this club. A player the trainer can count on,” vowed Yah, who has featured for the Dutch U-15 national side in the past but remains eligible to feature for Nigeria.

An appearance for the Super Eagles – or even for the Dutch national team – may not be too far into the future, especially if Yah shows the stuff he is capable of in the first team of Ajax and follow in the footsteps of past Nigerian football superstars like Nwankwo Kanu, Finidi George and Tijani Babangida, who all shone in the famous shirts of Ajax.

Yah will be hoping to emulate them.