Fitz-Jim explains why he suddenly left Ajax

Kian Fitz-Jim has made a flying start at Torino, who are currently 14th in Serie A. "It was difficult for me to swap Ajax for Torino, but I am now playing in a top-five league," he said in conversation with ESPN.

After arriving from Ajax, the midfielder already feels completely at home in Turin. "It is a big city, but not too busy. I really wanted to end up in a big city as well, and preferably not in some smaller remote village."

Now a regular in Torino's midfield, Fitz-Jim is almost a weekly starter for the mid-table side. "The style of play the coach wants suits me well. I also think I have started well."

Torino's summer signing weighed up his move carefully before leaving Ajax. "It was difficult to swap Ajax for Torino, but I am now playing in a top-five league, and this is also a very fine club. For me, it is important to have that kind of stage to show myself. Unfortunately, that prospect was not there at Ajax."

Across his time in Amsterdam, Fitz-Jim made 72 appearances for Ajax's first team and 103 matches for Jong Ajax. Last summer, that earned the midfielder a €3 million move to Serie A.

Even so, the former Ajax player is still getting used to Italian eating habits. "I am really more of a rice eater, but at a certain point you really do have to start eating pasta here. Drinking coffee is definitely not going to happen, I am still putting that off for a very long time."