Ajax is a club renowned for giving young players a chance to shine on the big stage, as the club from the Dutch capital has been prolific at developing youngsters over the years.
However, who are the youngest players to ever appear for Ajax in competitive games?
Ryan Gravenberch (Played aged 16 years, four months and seven days vs PSV Eindhoven)
The midfielder made his first-team debut for the Dutch giants at the age of 16 years, four months, and seven days in September 2018, as his team lost 3-0 at PSV Eindhoven. Gravenberch came on as an 83rd-minute substitute.
Gravenberch made 103 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring 12 goals. In June 2022, the highly-rated young midfielder moved to German giants Bayern Munich for a reported fee of €18 million, with €5 million potential add-ons.
In the summer of 2023, the youngster was on the move again, as he completed a switch to Premier League Liverpool for a fee reported to be around €40 million.
Clarence Seedorf (Played aged 16 years, six months and 26 days vs VVV Venlo)
Seedorf made his Ajax bow at the tender age of just 16 years, six months and 26 days in a 7-3 win at VVV Venlo in October 1990. He came on as a 58th-minute substitute in the KNVB Beker encounter.
The midfielder made 91 appearances and scored 11 goals in all competitions for Ajax. In the summer of 1995, he left the Dutch giants as a free agent, joining Sampdoria after helping Ajax win the Champions League.
Seedorf would go on to become one of European football’s most decorated players, winning the Champions League on three further occasions with Real Madrid and Milan and numerous other trophies.
Naci Unuvar (Played aged 16 years, seven months and nine days vs SV Spakenburg)
The attacking midfielder made his debut in a 7-0 KNVB Cup hammering of lower league Spakenburg in January 2020. He came on as a substitute on 75 minutes.
Unuvar made history in the game by scoring the team’s seventh goal in the win from the penalty spot. In doing so, he became the club’s youngster competitive debutant goalscorer.
Unfortunately, Unuvar has failed to make any more first-team appearances. However, he has gained more experience from loan spells at Turkish club Trabzonspor and FC Twente.
Jorrel Hato (Played aged 16 years, ten months and four days vs Den Bosch)
The highly-rated defender made his Ajax debut as a 85th-minute substitute in a 2-0 KNVB Beker win at Den Bosch in January 2023.
Hato has since established himself in the first-team squad, making a total of 58 competitive appearances despite having just turned 18. His performances have reportedly attracted interest from several top European clubs.
Vurnon Anita (Played aged 16 years 11 months 15 days vs FC Groningen)
Unlike most of his contemporaries on our list, Anita made his debut as a starter. His official bow came in a 3-2 Eredivisie defeat at Groningen in March 2006.
Anita went on to make 153 competitive appearances for the Dutch giants. He left in the summer of 2012 to join Premier League Newcastle for a fee of around £6.2m. He later returned to the Eredivisie when he joined RKC Waalwijk in 2020.
Richard Sneekes (Played aged 16 years 11 months 27 days against SVB Haarlem)
Sneekes made his first-team debut in October 1985 in a 5-1 home hammering of neighbours SBV Haarlem in the Eredivisie. The midfielder stepped off the substitutes bench with just ten minutes left on the clock.
He made just three competitive appearances for the club from the Dutch capital. However, he did forge a good football career for himself and is most known for his spell at English Club West Brom, for whom he made over 200 appearances.
Sneekes also played for Bolton Wanderers, Stockport County and Hull City in the English game.
Nordin Wooter (Played aged 17 years and four days vs RKC Waalwijk)
The academy product made his debut in a 3-1 Eredivisie home win against RKC Waalwijk in August 1994. The winger came on just after half-time as a substitute and made his mark with his team’s third goal of the game.
Wooter made over 50 appearances for Ajax from 1994-1997. In 1996, he became the first teenager to ever score in a Champions League semi-final when he scored in a victory over Panathinaikos.
Richard Witschge (Played aged 17 years and 21 days vs USV Elinkwijk)
The midfield star debuted in October 1986, as Ajax recorded a 4-1 KNVB Beker victory at lower league USV Elinkwijk.
Witschge made 87 appearances for the Amsterdammers before treading that well-travelled path to Catalan giants Barcelona in 1991. However, he returned to Ajax for a second spell from 1996 until 2003, when he appeared 139 times for the Dutch giants.
He won the Eredivisie once with Ajax in 1998, a year in which he also helped the club to KNVB Beker glory. The following season, Ajax retained the KNVB Beker title.
Gerald Vanenburg (Played aged 17 years and one month vs Den Haag)
Having come through the club’s academy, Vanenburg made his Ajax debut as 71st minute substitute in a 2-0 Eredivisie win over Den Haag in April 1981.
The winger enjoyed a highly successful career with the Amsterdam giants, making 173 competitive appearances and scoring 64 goals before a 1986 switch to rivals PSV Eindhoven.
Vanenburg helped his team win the Eredivisie title four times and the KNVB Cup twice. During his time with PSV, he also won the Dutch Golden Boot in 1988 and 1989 and numerous trophies, including the 1988 European Cup.
Matthijs de Ligt (Played aged 17 years, 1 month and 09 days vs Willem ll)
De Ligt made his Ajax debut in September 2016 in his team’s 5-0 home win over Willem ll in the KNVB Beker. He made an almost instant impact, heading home his first senior goal for the club after just 25 minutes.
He made 117 competitive appearances for the Dutch giants over three seasons. In the summer of 2019, the defender transferred to Italian giants Juventus for a reported fee of around €75 million plus add-ons.
He was on the move again in the summer of 2022, though, as he completed another big-money move to German behemoth Bayern Munich.
What are your favourite memories of the Ajax youngsters on our list?