The brother

“We both started out at DOS, a local club in Utrecht which no longer exists. Wesley joined them when he was five, which was very young, as most kids signed up when they were at least six. He then followed me to Ajax. He’s 15 months younger than me, so he would have been seven or eight at the time. He had to play three training matches and based on that they decided he was good enough.

“Near where we lived there was a cage with two goals where we used to play with other kids from the neighbourhood. We’d play for four or five hours at a time. It’s not like kids today, who are glued to their computers and Playstations.

From Utrecht to Amsterdam
“When we were 12 they removed the cage and built a playground instead, so there was nowhere local for us to play. By that stage we were at high school, and four times a week were traveling from our home near Utrecht to Amsterdam, to train with Ajax.

“That was tough for our parents. Our dad had to work night shifts so he could take us to Ajax after school. They made a lot of sacrifices, and were very supportive right from the start. Parental support is the key. There are a lot of talented kids who never make it because their parents won’t take them to training or get behind them.

Truly grateful
“I think Wesley is truly grateful to our parents for that. They saw it as an investment, and it paid off. Our father is a big football fan. In the house it was football 24/7 – that was hard for our mum – she likes football, but that would drive her mad at times.

“One of his first coaches was [former Ajax captain] Danny Blind, who was a very important figure in his development. I think it was only really when he was 16 or 17 that he started to show his true talent.

He wasn’t very tall
“In fact, when he was 14 the club had some doubts, because of his physical development. He wasn’t very tall, and they also felt he didn’t defend enough. They were on the verge of letting him go, but decided to give him another year. And he took his chance!

“I do think he benefited from having his older brother there next to him. I had a lot of problems with injuries. He could learn from the positives and negatives, and it helped him grow up as a player. Ajax are different from other clubs in Holland, given the emphasis that they place on skills development.

Kindred spirits
“We’re very close – we grew up together and we still speak on the phone every day. We can’t live without each other – you could call us kindred spirits. We also have a younger brother [Rodney], who is also now at Ajax. It’s a bit different with him, as there’s a nine-year gap. and we still see him as our baby brother, even though he’s now 17 and almost an adult!

“Wesley was originally right-footed but began working on his left foot when he was five, training every day to develop it, and now you can see the benefits – he is genuinely two-footed. He’s very difficult to defend against as he can just as easily go left or right – you really can’t see any difference, except when he takes free-kicks, which he always takes with his right. Corners, shooting, passing… he can use both feet.

Moving to Spain has been good for him
“As Wesley would tell you, his best position is behind the strikers. At the moment he’s starting on the right, but he’s allowed to come inside a lot. When he plays off the striker he can combine well with the other technical players. At the World Cup in Germany, he was used as a defensive midfielder, and that’s not where he’s at his best.

“Moving to Spain has been good for him. I think he’s already improved as a player. It’s one of the best competitions in the world – probably the best at the moment. I think in Holland he could play a game at 50%, but now he has to give 100% in some games. At first he was only able to play 75 minutes and was very tired. The training is very different.

Important player for Real
“Bernd Schuster has been a good coach for Wesley – he’s an attacking player and Schuster gives him the freedom to play his natural game, and play to his strengths, so he is really enjoying it. He’s already shown that he is an important player for Real – more than many people realize, I think. He has been out injured recently, and Real are keen to get him back as quickly as possible.

“One of the things that has brought him so far is his 100% commitment. Another important thing is his great self-belief. He’s a great example for other young players.”