Throughout its illustrious history, players from 51 nationalities have appeared for Ajax. Amazing players, many of whom have also played for their country. Their country is now playing in the finals with a whole new generation of footballers. Now that the 2022 World Cup is underway, we think this is a great time to hear from some of our former players once again. In this episode: John O'Brien.
We call O'Brien as he sits with his family in Hawaii. Due to the nine-hour time difference with the Netherlands, we speak with him on the island in the early morning. "I had to hurry because I just took a morning dip and surfed in the sea. Lovely."
Special
The American who played in the Ajax squad between 1999 and 2005 still speaks excellent Dutch. "I feel like doing this interview in Dutch," O'Brien begins. He looks back at that period in Amsterdam with great pleasure. "Great. Becoming part of the Ajax squad as a young American felt really good. I played at a high level myself and was surrounded by great players. It was very special."
When he arrived in Amsterdam as a youth player, O'Brien was the only one who did not speak Dutch. "My teammates were very friendly and took a lot of interest in me. They thought it was a bit strange that an American came to play football in the Ajax youth team. It took a lot of getting used to, a different country and a totally different football culture. When we moved from De Meer to the ArenA it felt a bit more American," he laughs.
The defensive midfielder describes himself on the pitch as 'cool' and 'tough'. "Fire erupted in my body and kept going until I couldn't take it any more. Besides, I was quite shy at the time and often waited to see how things developed. I also really experienced top-class sport at Ajax. There were a lot of trainer changes and there was always a lot of pressure on the team. I experienced that as less pleasant. Over the years, I learned to deal with that, but in the beginning it took some getting used to."
During his time in Amsterdam, O'Brien was called up for the United States national team. "It meant a lot to me. I had a 'chip on my shoulder' when, as a fan, I always saw America lose against other countries. I wanted to show the world that America could win. Because of my experiences at Ajax, I always went to the national team with a lot of confidence. My ball skills had improved immensely."
Impact
The 2002 World Cup was a great tournament for the Americans. "I scored during the first game with Portugal. It was my first World Cup, I felt good, and it was a big stage. We won 3-2 and ended up going out in the quarter-finals against Germany. During that tournament, I was young and basically I didn't know what I was doing," O'Brien laughs. "I'm here and I'm just going to do it, I thought. You don't realise the impact of a World Cup."
Four years later, O'Brien was again active at a World Cup. "I was injured for almost four years, but was lucky to get to go. I ended up playing almost no football because I wasn't quite fit anyway. Between 2002 and 2006, my career went downhill."
The way Americans experience the World Cup now has changed enormously from his period explains O'Brien. "It is alive now, partly because we are participating this year, but also because we have quite a good team. There is hope because the next World Cup in 2026 will be held in the US, among other places. When I participated in the World Cup, the football press tried to transfer it to the general news in America. That was a challenge at the time. That's not the case now. There is enough attention now and everyone in America is following it."
'Player I wanted to be'
The United States is in the group with England, Wales and Iran at the World Cup in Qatar. O'Brien, who now works as a psychologist, follows them closely. "We have a good chance of going through, second behind England is realistic." He also follows the Netherlands. "I like players like Frenkie de Jong. He is a player I would have liked to be."
The Netherlands - United States fixture is realistic in the quarter-final. Who is O'Brien supporting? "I wouldn't like that, because my heart says America. But I don't think they will make it against the Dutch. I hope they meet someone else because then I can support both of them."
