Recently, Ajax goalkeeper Remko Pasveer revealed in an interview that he would like to extend his playing career into next season.
The 41-year-old has been a regular for the Amsterdam giants this season, fighting off his competitors for the number one shirt in the Dutch capital. He only signed a new one-year contract in the summer of 2024.
Pasveer reveals plans for the future
The veteran goalkeeper told the Dutch publication Het Parool that he wants to extend his stay at Ajax: “My contract expires at the end of this season, but I still want to continue. I feel valuable and fit.”
However, he does have ambitions of becoming a goalkeeper coach in the future, as he continued by saying: “I do see myself becoming a goalkeeper coach. I think that guys I played with, like Stijn Schaars, Daley Blind or Dusan Tadic, will become coaches someday. I would like to join their technical staff. That seems fantastic to me. Time will tell.”
+1 🧤
Ajax and Remko Pasveer have agreed to extend his contract by one year, now ending on June 30, 2025.
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) July 15, 2024
He has already admitted that when he signed a one-year contract extension with the Dutch club last summer, he would have hung up his boots if he wasn’t offered an extension in Amsterdam.
Whatever happens in the summer, it seems he hopes to remain at Ajax for the foreseeable future, whether that be as a player with another contract extension or even as a coach if the club decides against offering him a new deal.
A new contract is not beyond the realms of possibility
Despite his advancing years, it is not utterly ridiculous that Pasveer is handed another one-year contract extension in the summer. The contract negotiations of last summer were slightly protracted, but a deal was agreed in the end.
Luckily for Ajax, the two parties reached an agreement. Pasveer has been the team’s first-choice goalkeeper this season, and he has enjoyed consistent campaigns in the Eredivisie and the Europa League.
Pasveer has played over 20 games in all competitions, which is highly respectable considering that he is competing against highly-rated young German stopper Diant Ramaj for the number-one spot at the capital club.
There are not many players at the age of 41 holding down a regular starting spot at a major European club, that’s for sure. He is doing a superb job and has looked fit and sharp this season.
When it comes to players’ longevity, goalkeepers tend to be the ones who have the longest careers, as, arguably, their training routines and activity during games are less detrimental to their bodies than outfield players.
Goalkeepers don’t have to be ultra-fit and get around the pitch or put themselves through gruelling training sessions, although they do still have to keep in decent shape.
Some of the world’s best goalkeepers have played into their late 30s and even their forties. Current Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is still playing at 38.
In the past, players like Dino Zoff, Gianluigi Buffon, and Neville Southall played at the top level of the game in their 40s. Although it would be a stretch to compare Pasveer to those illustrious stoppers, he has still joined that very respectable club.
Pasveer is making up for lost time
.jpg){kind=link}
Remko Pasveer only joined Ajax in 2021, signing a two-year deal. He may have expected just to be a backup. However, in his debut campaign with the Dutch club, he made 28 appearances in all competitions while making 22 competitive in his second season. Although he failed to make a single appearance in season 2023/24, he has looked to make up for lost time this season.
Although Pasveer has spent most of his career in the Eredivisie, his only previous spell with one of the Netherlands ‘Big Three’ was from 2014 to 2017 with PSV Eindhoven, during which time he made just 18 appearances. It is fair to say that he has fared better at Ajax than at their ‘Big Three’ counterparts.
Pasveer is the oldest player ever to appear for the Dutch giants and is extending the record with every game he plays. He seems to be enjoying his time as Ajax’s number one.
It remains to be seen if Pasveer will be handed a new contract at the end of the season. In his current form, the veteran stopper deserves a new deal and could well still be with the Amsterdam club next season.
The fact that he is still performing at his current level at 41 is a testament to his determination, perseverance and professionalism. If he retires from the game and joins the coaching staff, then his experience could be a valuable asset to the club as he helps the younger goalkeepers progress.
Either way, it would be good for Ajax to repay the goalkeeper for his service to the club by still having him around for season 2025/26.