DUSAN TADIC HAS signed a new seven-year contract with Ajax that includes an agreement to stay on as a coach at the Dutch club after he retires.
The Serbia international, 30, thrived after arriving from Southampton a year ago and was a key player as Ajax won a domestic double.
Tadic hit 28 Eredivisie goals and scored another nine in the Champions League as his side, who announced his new deal on Monday, reached the semi-finals.
Fellow forward David Neres has said he is not going to leave Ajax and Tadic has also committed his future to the club.
His contract now runs to 2023, but Ajax confirmed there is an agreement for Tadic to stay as a coach for a further three years.
“We have had a great season, but I have been very happy here from the moment I joined this special club,” Tadic said.
“I think everything here is great. I have a good relationship with the fans, the staff, the players and everyone who works for the club.
“It’s great when a club offers you such a contract. It is a motivation for me to show even more. It also gives me more responsibility and I love that.
“I want to start as a coach after my career. We will see when that will be, we will do it step by step. At the moment I still feel great, that’s the most important thing.”
He continued to Ajax TV: “One day I want to start my career as a coach at Ajax. I think there is no better place to start than here.
“I love the philosophy of Ajax and the way of thinking. That was also the reason for me to play football here. I think about football in the same way that I think about football.
“I hope that if I become a coach in a few years, my team will play as Ajax does.”
Ajax have lost Frenkie de Jong to Barcelona and captain Matthijs de Ligt is expected to join Juventus.
The 19-year-old defender has reached an agreement with the Italian champions, who are negotiating with Ajax.
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Good news but el premiership and la liga wont pay out the bug bucks unless exceptional at 30. Shame Ajax couldn’t have held onto other players. Best side in it this year considering who they beat but a flukey spurs put paid to their chances.
@MoffWarburton: the best side won the competition
@Keith Synnott: I don’t think so
@MoffWarburton: Liverpool would have torn them apart in the CL, if City had made it past Spurs they’d quite possibly be CL champs but the world is full of ifs, buts and maybes
@Rob G: I do
@MoffWarburton: best side in it hahaha. If their “world class centre half” De Ligt didn’t cower out of the tackle on Lucas Moura for the winner, they’d have been in the final