Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong, Hakim Ziyech and Donny van de Beek inspired Ajax to the Champions League semi-final under Erik ten Hag in the 2018/19 season. Ten Hag's side played with the naivety of youth in that unlikely yet endearing campaign.
There was also a blend of experience in that team to support the club's youngsters. Daley Blind and Dusan Tadic both played prominent roles while Klaas-Jan Huntelaar made appearances from the bench. Ten Hag is known as a coach that places an emphasis on developing academy talent, but he also understood the value of senior professionals during his time at Ajax.
That's why he brought Huntelaar back to the club in 2017. Huntelaar, then aged 33, had spent three years at Ajax between 2006 and 2009 before playing for Real Madrid, AC Milan and Schalke. The centre-forward was re-signed for his experience and his relationship with Ten Hag at the Amsterdam Arena proved mutually beneficial, with the pair winning multiple major honours together.
