It was announced today at 7:00 AM ET (1:00 PM CET) that Crystal Palace had acquired Netherlands starlet Ashleigh Weerden from Dutch giants Ajax. This will be her first time playing in England and is excited to embark on a new adventure.
Weerden, who also goes by “Little Messi”, joined Ajax Vrouwen from Ligue 1 outfit Montpellier in the summer of 2022. The Amsterdam native went through several national youth teams before making her debut for the senior team in 2019.
“What does Ajax mean to me? Everything,” started Weerden. “It was my dream club as a child and they made me love football again and prepared me for my next step.”
She credits the Dutch giants for helping her reclaim her pleasure of the game. While she loved her time in France, she didn’t play, which caused her to lose confidence. So when Ajax came knocking, she answered. “I was so happy. They said to me, ‘We think that if you come to Ajax, we can let you succeed here, if you just do your thing.'” Both parties kept their words: Little Messi “did her thing” and Ajax helped her succeed. She became a champion in her first year with the club, scored in the Johann Cruyff Arena, played in UEFA Women’s Champions League, won the Eredivisie Vrouwen, and the KNVB Cup.
You can learn more about the superstar HERE
-Jon Jones
Photo: CP Social Media