“I’ve made a very good choice” - Sean Steur opens up on leaving Ajax for Newcastle
Sean Steur says he feels right at home at Newcastle United, revealing how uncertainty over his future role at Ajax helped convince him to leave this summer.
Speaking to ESPN Netherlands, the 18-year-old discussed his first few months in England, the benefits of training and playing at a higher level, and why a proposed contract extension in Amsterdam never materialised.
Steur joined Newcastle in July and believes he made the right decision, explaining that changes at Ajax left him questioning where he would fit in.
Steur opens up on Newcastle move
Do you feel at home after your first few months in England?
“Yes, thankfully I’m really enjoying myself. I’m very happy there. Looking back at how everything has gone, I can only be happy. I really feel at home there.”
What have you learnt the most from since you’ve been there?
“The way football is experienced there is obviously next level, and I’m learning a lot from that. Of course, you train and play at a high level, so that can only make you better. So far, everything is going really well and I’m very happy there.”
Shortly after the winter break, there were reports that you had a verbal agreement with Ajax over a contract extension. You never signed it in the end. Can you explain what happened?
“An awful lot changed at Ajax, as I think you’ll have seen. Ultimately, I think going somewhere else was the best choice for me.”
You mentioned a feeling and said it was difficult to explain. What makes Newcastle a better place for you to be now than Ajax?
“There was just so much changing there, and I sometimes had doubts about what my role would be. In the end, I simply chose a new adventure.”
Did you feel you might play less at Ajax this season?
“No, I don’t think that way. Of course, you have to believe in yourself. They mainly opted for experience, which is fine. But ultimately I followed my own feelings. I’m very happy there now. So far, I think I’ve made a very good choice.”
Steur looks the real deal
Elsewhere in ESPN’s report, Steur also offered reassurance over his fitness after coming off against Hull, saying he is fit and believes fatigue was behind his withdrawal. He has since reported for Netherlands Under-21 duty.
That follows Matthias Jaissle’s praise for his performance in Saturday’s 2-1 win, when the Newcastle boss highlighted both his response to criticism after Leeds and the challenge of sustaining that level over a full match.
For me, Steur already looks like he could be the real deal. To come into the Premier League at 18 and give a team that much composure and control from central midfield is seriously impressive.
It’s such a demanding position, with the pressure to receive the ball in tight areas, make the right decisions quickly and contribute without it. There can’t be many players his age capable of making the impact he did against Hull, especially so soon after moving to a new country.
The work now is building towards producing that over the full 90 minutes, as Jaissle has said. But the quality is there, and hearing how settled he feels only adds to the excitement about what he could become for us.
