NO AMATEUR DRAMATICS

WATCHING boyhood heroes Ajax win he Champions League when he was a starry-eyed kid inspired Dyron Daal to make it in the game.

The Dutchman was still at school when Louis van Gaal led the Amsterdam giants to European glory 11 years ago.

But Daal had more reason than most to watch the 1-0 victory over AC Milan because he was already on the Ajax books.

And as his school had a link-up with the club he and his fellow pupils were given time off to take in the action.

Despite not making it at the Amsterdam ArenA the coaching the 22-year-old received at one of the most famous footballing youth academies stood him in good stead.

Now he is with Aberdeen and hopes to kick start his career there after dropping down to be an amateur at lower league outfit FC Omniworld in his homeland.

Hitman Daal got off the mark last week with his first goal for the Dons in the win over Falkirk and hopes to follow that up with a repeat against Hearts at Pittodrie today.

And before looking ahead to what he hopes will be a bright future in the SPL Dyron cast his mind back to where it all started - at Ajax.

He said: "I played in the youths alongside guys like Wesley Sneijder who has gone on to be a Dutch internationalist.

"I didn't make the first team but had a great footballing education that has helped my career.

"Louis van Gaal was manager and I was on the books as a kid when Ajax won the Champions League in 1995.

"I was still at school but the memories are fresh. We were given time off from our studies to watch the final against AC Milan and cheered Patrick Kluivert's goal.

"The feeling was great because you're a little boy playing for such a big club and they win the European Cup. It was just amazing.

"Things like that inspire you and there's no doubt seeing it gave me a hunger to succeed in the game. I didn't speak much to the first team players but you'd meet them now and again. I spotted the likes of the de Boer brothers walking about.

"It was disappointing when told I could go but I'm not the type who cries his eyes out. If a challenge comes up I try to meet it."

Daal, who also had a spell with Utrecht after he left Ajax, had a trial period at Pittodrie in January only for the move to break down when his former clubs demanded a slice of any transfer fee.

But Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood didn't give up in his pursuit of the striker who agreed to play for nothing on an amateur contract until the end of the season.

With the Dons having the chance to leapfrog their opponents in the league Daal believes today's home clash with Hearts will be the biggest match of his career.

He said: "My ambition here is to score goals, get a good contract and be important for the team.

"It was a big relief to get the goal last week. When you come on as a substitute you try to add something in the few moments you have and if you score you have to feel good.

"It was a big sacrifice to go amateur but sometimes if you want to achieve something you have to take two steps back to make two forward.

"It just felt so good at Aberdeen and the way they were willing to do things for me so it wasn't a big decision for me to make.

"The problem was Ajax, Utrecht and Omniworld wanted something.

"It was a major disappointment not to have signed first time around because it felt so good in January and everyone seemed to be impressed.

"But I'm glad I made it in the end and I'm enjoying my time here."

Taken from the Sunday Mail