Vink: 'I never expected him to be this good at Ajax'

Marciano Vink has been hugely impressed by Tolu Arokodare at Ajax. The pundit particularly enjoyed a piece of individual skill from the striker in Saturday evening's 1-5 win over Fortuna Sittard, which he believes showed the Nigerian offers far more than just height and strength.

Speaking on ESPN's Dit was het Weekend, Vink picked out a first-half moment involving the Ajax striker. "That chance for Tolu when he brings it down on his chest, pulls the ball back and then shoots with his left: that is really very clever."

What especially stands out to Vink is the blend of technique and physique. "In such a small space, for such a big and strong lad... He brushes aside two or three men with ease, but also controls a ball very easily. It's a shame that ball doesn't get the right elevation, because otherwise it's the goal of the year."

"He struck it with the outside of his foot, which makes the ball bend away. But that whole move reveals so much footballing quality," said the former footballer. Kenneth Perez then asks Vink whether he had expected Tolu to make such a strong impression at Ajax. "No, I didn't expect that. Not that he would make his mark so immediately from the start," Vink replies. "He really is quite a good footballer for such a strong, big player."

Still, Vink is not entirely satisfied with the striker yet. He believes there is room for improvement, particularly in the air. "His heading can still improve a bit. Sometimes I think: you could have headed that better. There were also headers that he should at least have got on target."

Against Fortuna, Tolu had several chances and hit the crossbar with a header just after the hour mark. From the rebound, Thilo Kehrer made it 1-2, after which Ajax pulled further clear and eventually sealed a convincing 1-5 win through Davy Klaassen, Kasper Dolberg and Youri Baas.

Elsewhere, Vink was also enthusiastic about Ajax's overall play. According to the pundit, the team pressed Fortuna well and switched play quickly at the right moments. "Ajax were all over them. If you switch play with balls like that, you basically tear an entire defence open and immediately put the winger one-on-one."