Ajax has been a football institution for years, as they have, at times in their history, dominated both at home and abroad. Despite the club’s long history of influential coaches, very few English players have appeared for the Dutch giants in their history.
In fact, only three English players have played for Ajax, while two have also been contracted to the Dutch club. Here are those five players:
Ray Clarke (from 1978 until 1979)
The forward started his playing career at Tottenham Hotspur, making just one appearance before making a move to Swindon Town. It wasn’t until two years with Mansfield Town that his career took off.
He scored 52 goals in 91 appearances for Mansfield, which attracted the attention of Dutch outfit Sparta Rotterdam. In 1976, the forward moved to Sparta, and Clarke was a trailblazer, as British players rarely moved abroad at that time.
He spent two years with the Rotterdam team, scoring 35 goals in 65 Eredivisie. In January 1978, Clarke was once again on the move, this time joining capital giants Ajax for a reported fee of around £200,000.
The forward was a big success at Ajax, scoring 38 goals in 43 appearances in all competitions, helping the club to the Eredivisie and KNVB Cup double during his short time with the club.
When he was sold to Club Brugge in 1979, reportedly against his wishes, the club’s supporters were angered, as he had made such a big impact on them. He struggled in Belgium and later, in 1979, returned to England with Brighton Hove Albion.
He had a decent spell with the Seagulls before moving to Newcastle United in 1980. The north east club was his final destination as a player, as Clarke had to call time on his career due to injury at the age of just 28.
After ending his playing career, he had various roles in football, including scouting roles for Scottish champions Celtic, Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers.
Chuba Akpom (From 2023-present)
Having started his playing career in the prestigious Arsenal academy, Akpom spent much of his career in the English lower leagues. His most prolific spell of form of his career so far came from 2020 until 2023, when he scored 34 goals in 82 appearances in all competitions for Middlesbrough.
Akpom earned a move to Ajax in the summer of 2023 after he scored 28 goals in 38 Championship appearances in season 2022/23. The forward cost a reported fee of around €12.3m, potentially rising to €14.3m with add-ons. He became only the second modern-day English player to play for the Dutch giants.
He experienced a mixed debut campaign in Amsterdam, scoring 15 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions in a struggling Ajax team. The forward also made an underwhelming start to the 2024/25. He certainly has a long way to go to match Ray Clarke’s hero status at the club.
Jordan Henderson (From 2024 until present)
By far the most high-profile player to ever play for Ajax is former England international and Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. The midfielder joined the Amsterdam giants in January 2024 from Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ettifaq. He was allowed to join Ajax as a free agent, as he was unsettled in the Middle East nation.
At 34, Henderson has settled reasonably well in the Dutch capital. A player with experience winning big trophies like the Premier League and the Champions League can only help the young players in the Ajax squad. He can prove to be a shrewd signing for the club, even if it’s only for his experience.
Henderson has played the majority of games in the 2024/25 season, and he is looking to help Ajax recover from their woeful 2023/24 Eredivisie campaign.
Charlie Setford (From 2011 until present)
The young goalkeeper was born in Haarlem, the Netherlands, to an English father and a Dutch mother. Setford has represented England and the Netherlands at youth level.
However, he has now played for England’s U-18 and U-20 national teams. He has already committed to playing for England at senior level. He has also stated that his family only speak English in their family home.
Setford has yet to play for the senior Ajax team but has been on the Dutch giants’ substitutes bench on numerous occasions. However, he is highly rated and has been a regular for Ajax Jong.
Tommy Setford (From 2021-2024)
Tommy is Charlie Setford’s younger brother. He joined the Dutch giants youth team in 2021 and earned himself a massive reputation in the club’s academy. Like his brother, Setford never appeared for the Ajax youth team.
In fact, the youngest left for the Premier League club Arsenal in the summer of 2024 for an undisclosed fee reported to be around €1 million, signing a four-year contract with the option of an extra year with the Gunners.
At the age of just 18, Setford made his Arsenal first-team debut on 30th October 2024, at Preston North End in a 3-0 victory in the League Cup.
Unlike Charlie, Tommy Setford has only played for England at youth level, all the way up to U-19 level. He played for England for the Three Lions U-17 team at the European Championship in 2023. Since then, he has played for both England’s U-18 and U-19 teams.