Goalkeeper Sander Boschker finally signs two-year Ajax contract
05 June: It's been in the air for weeks, but now it's a
fact: goalkeeper Sander Boschker (32), formerly of FC Twente,
has signed a two-year contract at the Amsterdam ArenA today.
Ajax did not have to pay a transfer fee for the goalkeeper, who
left the Enschede club on a free transfer. As usual Ajax did
not reveal any financial details of the contract.
After the contract was signed, the photographers in the
ArenA press room had the opportunity to take pictures of
Boschker holding a goalkeeper jersey with his name and jersey
number 1 on it. Number 1 will, however, not be the his jersey
number next season. Coach Ronald Koeman has repeatedly stated
that Bogdan Lobont will start the season as his first man.
Boschker will have to compete with Maarten Stekelenburg for the
position of 'goalkeeper number two'. "I expect it to be tough",
he said, "but I am competitive. I will make it as difficult as
possible for the coach."
Sander Boschker was born in the eastern village of
Lichtenvoorde on 20 October 1970. He still lives in
Lichtenvoorde and intends to stay there with his family. He
will rent a flat in Amsterdam to stay there in case he's too
tired to drive home after training. As a young boy he played
for amateur club Longa '30. He was discovered by FC Twente
scouts as a teenager and entered the youth system of the
Enschede Eredivisie side. He was only 18 years old when he made
his début in Twente's first team on 26 November 1989,
replacing goalkeeper Hans de Koning.
Boschker defended FC Twente's goal for almost fifteen years
and played 356 Eredivisie games for the club. He finished third
in the Eredivisie in 1990 and 1997 and had four UEFA Cup
campaigns with Twente. The highlight of his career, however,
was the winning of the 2001 Amstel Cup. Boschker was the hero
of the day for Twente in the final against PSV, by saving three
PSV penalties in a row in the shoot-out, after the game had
ended goalless.
Boschker's 'farewell game' in Enschede's Arke Stadium was,
ironically, the home game against Ajax on 25 May. It was a
weird experience for Boschker, as his upcoming transfer to the
Amsterdam club had already been announced in the Dutch media.
He played an fine game against his new club. "It was strange to
play against Ajax", says Boschker, "but I wanted to say goodbye
to FC Twente with style (...) I never thought that Ajax was
going to fail to reach the preliminary round of the Champions
League anyway, given the difference in quality between Ajax and
Twente."
Sander Boschker will join the Ajax squad for the first
training of the new season, on Monday 07 July. (MP)
Source: Ajax.nl
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