Steven Bergwijn has given a very revealing interview about his time at Spurs and what made him leave the club for Ajax.
Bergwijn moved to Ajax earlier this month in a deal worth £26m becoming the first big-name player to be sold by Spurs in what has been a hectic transfer window for Spurs.
The Dutchman who only made 4 appearances for Spurs last season has now revealed that Antonio Conte’s broken promise forced him to push for an exit. While speaking to Algemeen Dagblad, he said:
“When he told the media during the winter break that I was going to be important and he didn’t want me to go to Ajax, I thought: OK, this is not the time to argue. Let’s see if it changes.
“You work hard and fill in well, but you always get three or four minutes of playing time. That’s not what I was waiting for. It was very frustrating. I had no connection with Conte. I think we only had one conversation after the last practice of the season. I then went to the director and said: Listen, I’m not coming back. We’re going to find a solution. I just want to leave.”
Bergwijn also revealed Conte’s reaction to his decision: “He (Conte) said ‘Sorry that I didn’t let you play much. We had no cup matches and I really wanted to finish fourth to make it to the Champions League’.
“He chose Harry Kane in the striker’s box. I understood that, but I could also play in other positions. I just didn’t want to get into a ‘yes-no’ situation anymore.”
Bergwijn’s frustration is understandable considering he only played 28 minutes of Premier League football over seven appearances. Antonio Conte tends to prefer wing-backs over traditional wingers such as the Dutchman which is perhaps why he didn’t view the Dutchman as someone who would fit his system. With a move now to Ajax, his city of birth, hopefully, he can find his form again.