By Rodney Reiners
Former Dutch international Marciano Vink is a contemporary of current world football stars Dennis Bergkamp, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Ronald and Frank de Boer and Wim Jonk. He has played in the same team as the great Ronaldo.
Now he is on his way to Ajax Cape Town.
Vink, with Dutch midfielder Jeremy Overbeek Blom and Brazilian winger Rodrigo Machado, are set to link with Ajax CT next season. The three have reached an agreement with the Cape side and are in the city to get a feel for their new surroundings.
The trio's presence at Ajax CT is part of a strategy to bring an overseas flavour and to allow their professionalism and experience to permeate the club.
On the other hand, Vink, Blom and Machado are intent on using their time at Ajax CT to further their ambitions of making it with a top European club in the future.
Ajax have previously played two foreigners - Dutchman Rolf de Boer and Brazilian Rodrigo Gomes - in the first team, but both proved to be almighty flops.
This time, however, Ajax are confident it will be different. The trio were personally recommended by new coach Rob McDonald and he is adamant they will make a positive contribution to the mix at Ajax CT.
The scoop being the signing of Vink, 30, once a highly-rated footballer. He would probably today have been spoken of in the same breath as his youth and senior teammates at Ajax Amsterdam - Bergkamp, Davids, Seedorf, the De Boer twins, Brian Roy, Johan van 't Skip and Jonk - but for the fact that he was struck down by a cruel knee injury that set his career back.
Vink started as a 13-year-old at Ajax Amsterdam and was only 16 when drafted into the second team - a time when Johan Cruyff was first team manager.
At the age of 17 he made his debut for Ajax Amsterdam as a central defender.
In 1991-92 Vink was part of Ajax Amsterdam's Uefa Cup winning side under coach Louis van Gaal. The next season, he was signed by Genoa in the Italian Serie A.
For the next six seasons he played for Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven, at the same time PSV had a young genius called Ronaldo was making his way on the world stage.
But tragedy was to strike in 1997 when he tore the cruciate ligament in his knee. The next few years were tough, including two operations and eventually leading to the complete rebuilding of the knee.
Eventually he played a while at Ado Den Haag, a Dutch second division club as a non-paid player, so desperate was he to get some game time.
Then, his telephone rang and it was McDonald to ask him to consider coming to Cape Town.
McDonald explains: "I need a strong personality here at Ajax. Marciano is a strong personality, an organiser and a leader. You will see that come to the fore strongly in his game. I need a player in the team who can take charge, guide the youngsters on and off the field, almost like a second coach."
Vink is happy to do so, but admits he is doing so because he is ready to get back into big time football and is hoping a spell in Cape Town can kickstart his stalled career.
"I see a spell with Ajax CT as an adventure, something different, a way to rebuild my career after my crippling injuries," Vink said. "I am fully recovered and still have a lot to offer the game. Rob (McDonald) has explained what my role would be - not only to play but also to develop, nurture and guide the young players, and I am keen to assist."
Vink said he was impressed with the quality of the facilities at the Cape Town club, the structures and the professional approach of everyone involved. He was confident he would be able to add something positive and ensure that Ajax play the attractive, entertaining football associated with the brand name Ajax across the world.
Blom, 20, was born in Zevenaar, a 90 minute drive from Amsterdam and was a junior at Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem. He moved to Dutch first division side De Graafschap last season where he played under McDonald.
"Jeremy is the type of playmaking footballer I am looking for," McDonald said. "He is young and I am confident he can bring more attacking flair to Ajax."
Blom said he was looking forward to playing outside Holland for the first time. "It's a great opportunity for me," he said. "It adds to my confidence and the experience I build up will be important for my career profile."
Machado, 19, was born in Leopoldina, a small town north of Rio de Janeiro and two years ago signed for Belgian club Germinal Beerschot.
He is a left winger and is expected to add depth and strength to the already potent left flank that Ajax CT have created.