Keeping it in the family: Brothers and father son combos to play for Ajax

Football is in the blood in some families, with brothers or fathers and sons playing the world’s favourite sport, some at the same club. Dutch giants Ajax have a long tradition of family members having both been on the books at the club.

Frank and Ronald de Boer

frank de boer ajax manager
Yulia Novikova, CC BY-SA 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Brothers Frank and Ronald de Boer were some of the highest-profile relatives to be on the books at Ajax. Frank is an Ajax legend, having served the club as both a player and head coach.

De Boer’s playing stint with the Amsterdam giants lasted from 1988 until 1999. During that time, he was highly successful in winning a plethora of trophies, including the Eredivisie on five occasions and the Champions League once.

He returned to manage the club in 2010 and stayed until 2016, winning the Eredivisie on four occasions in the Ajax dugout.

Ronald had two spells with the club as a player, having played for Ajax from 1987 until 1991 before a second stint with the club from 1992 until 1999.

Like his brother, the attacking midfielder won the Eredivisie on five occasions and the Champions League once in 1995. De Boer later returned to the club in a backroom capacity after he hung up his boots.

Danny and Daley Blind

Blind Eriksen Vertonghen
Blind, Eriksen, Vertonghen

Unlike the De Boers, Danny and Daley Blind are father and son. Danny Blind was an Ajax stalwart, making nearly 500 appearances for the Amsterdam outfit from 1986 until 1999. Along with the De Boer brothers, Blind was part of the Ajax team that won the Champions League and five Eredivisie titles.

After retiring from playing, Blind was also Ajax’s head coach from 15th March 2005 until 10th May 2006.

Daley Blind followed in his father’s footsteps at Ajax. Blind Jnr came through the club’s youth system and represented the Amsterdam giants from 2008 until 2014 before returning for a second spell from 2018 until 2023.

The defender made over 250 appearances for Ajax over his two separate spells with the club. He won plenty of silverware with the club, including picking up seven Dutch top-flight titles.

Patrick and Justin Kluivert

Justin Kluivert

Another father-and-son duo that have both plied their trade at Ajax is Patrick and Justin Kluivert.

Patrick Kluivert came through Ajax’s youth system, playing for the club from 1994 until 1997. He is another one of the famous 1995 Champions League-winning squad. While with Ajax, Kluivert Snr also won the Eredivisie and Super Cup on two occasions.

He scored 53 goals in 101 appearances in all competitions for the Amsterdam outfit before making a move to Italian giants Milan in 1997. He also went on to play for, amongst others, Barcelona and Valencia.

Like his dad, Justin Kluivert came through the youth ranks at Ajax. He first played for Ajax Jong before making his senior debut in season 2016/17. He went on to make 56 appearances for the Dutch giants before making a move to Roma for a reported fee of around €18.75 million.

Kluivert has also played for RB Leipzig, Nice, Valencia (like his dad) and Bournemouth during his playing career.

Rafael van der Vaart and Damien van der Vaart

Rafael van der Vaart

This is another father-and-son duo who have likes with Ajax. Like many of the players on our list, Rafael van der Vaart came through the club’s renowned youth system, representing the club on 156 occasions from 1999 until 2006. He won two Eredivisie titles with the club, as well as the KNVB Cup in season 2001/02.

Van der Vaart moved to Hamburg in 2005, enjoying two spells with the German club while also playing for Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid.

Rafael’s son Damian joined Ajax’s youth set-up in the summer of 2024, and the young midfielder will be keen to make a mark in his own right with the Amsterdam club. The highest level he has played at with the club is u-19s. However, considering Ajax’s record of developing young players, he could well be on the first team in the near future if he impresses in the youth ranks.

Charlie and Tommy Setford

The two goalkeeping brothers have both come through the Ajax youth set-up. Charlie joined the club at the age of just seven and made appearances for Ajax Jong.

He has also been on the substitutes bench for the first team, including for a Champions League encounter with Besiktas in September 2021.

Despite being born in Haarlem, near Amsterdam, Charlie Setford has committed his international future to England, as his dad is an English professional golfer called Chris Setford.

Charlie’s younger brother joined the Ajax youth set-up in 2021 and quickly developed a big reputation as one of the best young goalkeepers of his age in the European game.

Although he never played for Ajax or even Ajax Jong, he did enough in youth football to earn himself a big move to Premier League giants Arsenal in the summer of 2024, costing the north London club a reported fee of around €1 million.

Arsenal illustrated how highly they rate Setford a first-team debut at the age of just 18 in September 2024 in a Carabao Cup 3-1 win over Championship Preston North End.

Unlike Charlie, Tommy Setford has only played for England at youth level, having played for the country of his father’s birth up to U-19 level.