Chelsea FC have signed winger Hakim Ziyech from Ajax for a transfer fee of €40 million and the 27-year-old will be joining the Premier League side in the coming few months.
But according to one of his former coaches, Heerenveen Jan de Jonge, the player does have a visible talent but at the same time, he does have attitude problems.
He told France Football: “He had just entered the youth academy, and he looked very fragile. But he already had his creativity back then, so you knew he had a lot of potential.
“The fact that he was small and fragile could have become a problem, but he was fortunate that not so much value was attached to it in our training.
“There were some behavioural problems. But otherwise, he had everything. In the end, it is often those boys, who may be more difficult to control, who have something extra as a footballer.
“But let’s be clear: he was by no means unmanageable. He was a prankster. We once played near a farm, and Hakim thought it would be a good idea to steal a chicken there and let it go in the dressing room.
“When I realised what was going on, I had to make clear to him that it might not be the best idea of the century.”
Will Hakim Ziyech be a cause of concern for Chelsea?
Clearly this is something that should not be a big cause of concern for Frank Lampard since players in England are notorious for pulling off unimaginable pranks.
Yes, the player is a prankster but what will really matter is how he carries himself on the pitch next season. This campaign he has set the Eredivisie on fire by scoring six and assisting 13 goals and if he can maintain this same form in England as well, then surely Chelsea will be back amongst the big boys in no time at all.
