Aron Winter on his journey through Dutch and Italian football

His subsequent move to Italy saw him play with Lazio for four years before transferring to Inter Milan, where he won the 1998 UEFA Cup. Winter also earned 84 caps for the Netherlands and was an integral part of the legendary squad that won UEFA Euro 1988. He represented his country in three FIFA World Cups (1990, 1994 and 1998) and scored a memorable quarter-final goal against Brazil in 1994. Following his playing career, he has moved into coaching and works with FIFA as part of the Technical Study Group that analyses tournaments.

In this interview, he describes his development journey through the Ajax Academy, learning from his inspirational coach, Johan Cruyff, and how his work ethic helped him to earn the respect of senior players when he finally broke into the first team. His move to Italy in 1992 challenged him to evolve further as he worked to establish himself in a different football culture and under a different philosophy, while facing racism. His growth mindset stands out as he outlines how these challenges made him a more complete player, as did his experience of working under different managers. His insights extend to differentiating between playing club football and at the national team level, and how it was only when playing for his country, against the best players in the world, that he realised the true importance of all his learnings as a young and developing player, which were now second nature to him.

• Mastering technique was an early and consistent focus for all players being coached in the Ajax Academy.

• Having a strong work ethic was a defining quality as Winter transitioned to first-team football, earning respect in a new league and establishing himself at the national team level.

• Continuously striving to be a complete player, yet never believing he was, was the inspiration behind his continued growth and improvement.

Part 1: Progressing from academy to first team
When he was scouted by Ajax, Winter already knew the club had a reputation of being among the best in the world for youth development. Immediately, he recognised the quality of the players he was now training with and the coaches' focus on mastering technique. Positional awareness was also a core pillar of training, with players encouraged to focus on their development, trusting that this was an important step toward reaching their potential. Winter explains how it was instilled in the young players that when they were ready to progress, regardless of their age, they would move to the next level. For young players, believing in that model was vital and really helped them focus on improving to achieve their dreams. Winter explains how, under the guidance of Johan Cruyff, he transitioned to first-team football. Cruyff instilled confidence in Winter by encouraging him to try things and not worry about making mistakes, but the one thing he demanded was that every player work hard.

Part 2: Establishing a position in the first team
Cruyff was a key influence in Winter’s development as a world-class player, and he discusses how he learned that more possession meant having to defend less, and therefore, keeping the ball under pressure was a cornerstone of the demands Cruyff placed on his players. He also wanted his team to win and dominate the game when they did not have the ball, working hard collectively to apply immediate pressure and win the ball back quickly. Gaining the respect of Ajax’s first-team players was not a problem for Winter because of his work ethic. He names midfielders Jan Wouters and Frank Rijkaard as players he really looked up to and learned from. Winter explains how they helped him to think more like a professional player as he became embedded in the first team.

Part 3: Moving to Italy and representing the Netherlands
In 1992, Winter left the Netherlands to join Lazio, and Italian football brought him face-to-face with new challenges, including dealing with racism. At that time, Serie A was considered the best league in the world, and Winter knew there was pressure to deliver as a big signing. His desire to win trophies inspired his move from Lazio to Inter Milan, where he won the UEFA Cup, and he explains how the different approach to defending really helped him to grow as a player. He explains how different a short pre-season was at Ajax in the Netherlands compared to a longer, more physical pre-season in Italy, and how his endurance levels improved. Winter also explores how working with different managers, such as Cruyff, Dino Zoff and Roy Hodgson, helped him evolve not just as a player but also as a coach. The intensity of playing international football reinforced the value of all the technical and physical work he had done in his formative years, because that level has no hiding place, and he wanted to be a complete player who could play whatever role his team or manager needed from him.