Tolu Arokodare: ‘He drives me mad in training at Ajax. You’d just want to give him a slap’

Tolu Arokodare tells Het Laatste Nieuws Ajax can achieve great things this season, largely because of the quality in the squad.

Technical director Jordi Cruyff brought several big names to Ajax this summer, including Julian Brandt and Marc ter Stegen. The aim is clear: win the title immediately. "We really do have a great squad," Tolu says.

Brandt is his first example. "Julian is unbelievably good in matches. He leaves you open-mouthed. He knows exactly when to play it first time and when to turn away."

"Ter Stegen, on the other hand, drives me mad in training. Sometimes it's downright irritating when you see the shots he still saves. Then he pretends to unzip his pocket to tell you you're in it. You'd want to give him a slap," Tolu laughs.

Manager Míchel Sánchez has also won him over. "I love him. I love everyone here. Ajax feels like heaven. The training complex is top-class, the stadium is beautiful, the fans are great, I love the style of play."

"I pray it continues like this. I'm working hard for it too, because I don't want to be a one-season wonder. I'd hate it if they said that about me next year. The rest of my career needs to look like this season. Consistently performing at a high level is the hardest thing there is."

Tolu openly hopes Ajax exercise their purchase option of around €20 million, but he does not feel his time in the Premier League is over yet. "I think I have the qualities for it, yes. Could I have done better last year? Of course. I think everyone can do better in any situation. I did everything I could, though. It just didn't work out."