Carel Eiting: Huddersfield Welcomes ‘The Professor’
Brady Frost, Feature Writer
Twitter: @brady0894
Source for image above: HTAFC
Ajax’s former youth captain joins The Terriers in one of the most unexpected transfers of the window so far but what can fans expect? And He Takes That Chance gets the expert opinion on Town’s newest signing Carel Eiting.
As the defeats continue, the new signings come in. Just three hours after the disappointing loss to Brentford, Huddersfield announced a new signing, Carel Eiting. The 22-year-old and Town’s new number 14, joined the club on a season-long loan.
This is the first time Huddersfield have signed a player from Ajax since 1999, when midfielder Dean Gorré joined The Terriers and went to become a firm favourite in Steve Bruce’s side. Unlike Gorré who joined Town towards the end of his career, Eiting has the chance to kickstart his, after injuries have affected his opportunity to break into the Ajax first team.
The left-footed Dutch midfielder who has been used in a variety of different positions during his time at the Amsterdam side, seems to be identified as the key deep-lying no.6 player that the club were after. Carlos Corberán higlighted about his ability to play in a number of positions though when the signing was announced. Speaking to the club’s official website, he said:
“Carel is a young player with real potential, who makes the squad stronger. He’s very technically skilled; very comfortable on the ball. He’s a midfielder who give us different options; he can play as a playmaker, in more attacking positions or as a mixed, box-to-box midfielder. We hope that he shows all the skills that he has here at Huddersfield Town.”
Eiting has been with Ajax since 2007 and captained their youth sides but a serious knee injury has kept him out for nearly two seasons and restricted him to around 30 appearances for the senior team - albeit in the Champions League, Europa League, Eredivisie and the Dutch Cup.
Now, this loan is an opportunity for him to gain fitness, confidence and demonstrate the talent that had Ajax fans comparing him with fellow academy graduates Frenkie de Jong and Donny van de Beek. If he succeeds then this is certainly Huddersfield’s gain, who are crying out for some quality in their team.
To give us the expert opinion on Town’s latest signing, we spoke to EyeJax from Ajax fan channel, We Talk Ajax, to tell us more about Carel Eiting the player and person.
Carel Eiting has been nicknamed ‘The Professor’ by fans and teammates for his intelligence on the ball. Photo source: Instagram
What type of player are Huddersfield getting in Carel Eiting?
Carel is the embodiment of the Ajax academy. He has been at our club for almost 14 years now. Carel is a technically gifted player, he is a smart footballer who reads the game well and has a good pass. He is comfortable with the ball at his feet, can dribble and plays good combination football with other players.
Eiting is said to be able to play in a number of different positions, in a three-man defence or as a defensive midfielder for example. = Where do you think his best position is and why?
Personally, I do not see Carel as a defender, although he has been played there once or twice by [Ajax Manager] Erik ten Hag. Carel lacks the physical strength, aerial ability and speed that is necessary to be a good defender, especially in England. Carel is most comfortable as a midfielder, he can play at 6, 8 or even 10, although I prefer him the most at 8. The reason why I like him best at 8 is because he is involved in most of the midfield play in that position, Carel is able to move the ball/play up forward and creates opportunities for the team with his passing abilities.
Eiting has been a captain for Ajax at youth level, what is he like personality-wise?
Eiting is an intelligent person. Within the Academy, he received the nickname ‘The Professor’ from his fellow peers. Carel also has a lot of humour and you see him talking a lot on and off the pitch trying to read the game and organise the players on the pitch. Those qualities are probably why he has been captain in the youth academy.
Carel lifting the Eredivisie title, he has also played in the Champions League, Europa League and the Dutch Cup. Photo source: Instagram
Ajax players are renowned for being comfortable in possession with the ball, what make Carel Eiting stand out?
Carel is really comfortable on the ball like many Ajax youth products are. He is an intelligent player who is able to read the game well. Because he possesses a great pass, he was usually the go-to guy on the midfield to move the play.
He has suffered a lot of injuries which have restricted his appearances for Ajax and could be considered a psychological blow, has this made him more cautious in his play or is he still fearless?
This is hard to answer because unfortunately, Carel has not played many minutes since he got back from his injury. At Ajax, we struggled in a period last year before COVID hit to find balance in the midfield. Carel actually played as a 6 and 8 a few times and I really like what I saw from him. It did not look as if he was more cautious but like I said to really judge this, you must see him play on a weekly basis.
He’s been talked in the same breath as Frenkie de Jong and Donny van de Beek, is that a realistic comparison and where do you see his potential?
That is not a realistic comparison (yet). I understand why people do this because they are from the same generation, but where Frenkie and Donny delivered and grew year after year and became important first team players, Carel had to cope with injuries. He has been very unfortunate! The qualities and talent are definitely there.
At Ajax, there is now too much competition for Carel at the midfield, and because of his injuries other players were bought and have established themselves within the team. Carel now has to focus on remaining fit the whole season, playing a lot of games and improving himself in the physical aspect of the game. I think Huddersfield Town and the Championship are a perfect place for him to do this and if he does I think he will definitely be valuable next year at Ajax!
Carel grew up in the Ajax academy with Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt, who have now gone on to play for Barcelona and Juventus respectively. Photo source: Instagram
What are his strengths and weaknesses?
His strengths are that he is comfortable on the ball. He likes to move the play and has a terrific pass. He also is able to read the game well and talks a lot with his fellow players to organise the team within the game. He needs to improve his strength and he is injury prone. Also, he is not the fastest player on the field. Despite these areas of improvement, he definitely is a diamond in the rough.
How would you sum up his time at Ajax so far?
Great player with great potential. He has been labelled for too long now as a huge talent, this is because he has been really unfortunate in having a few major injuries at a young age, which stagnated his growth and natural path within Ajax. This season is his do or die season at Huddersfield Town. If he stays fit and develops himself further, there will definitely be a future for him at Ajax. If he doesn’t, it could be the end of his journey with Ajax.
How are Ajax fans reacting to the news?
Most fans are really happy and understand why he made the move. They all see his potential but also know the competition for the positions he plays at Ajax is really high at the moment. So, because Carel really needs to make his comeback and improve himself they understand why he chose to go out on loan. We hope he improves himself this coming season and that he stays fit, personally I will follow him with great interest this season and I am very curious to see how he will perform in the Championship!
How do you think he’ll get on at Huddersfield? Is there anything else about Eiting that our fans should know?
I think Carel will get along fine with the team and the club. He is a very likeable and nice person. I am curious to see how he will adapt to the more physical play in the Championship. The main thing he needs to do is stay fit! You have got a real gem of a player on loan this season and it is Carel’s time to shine, I definitely think he can contribute to Huddersfield’s success this season.
How do you think Carel Eiting will get on at Huddersfield? Let us know in the comments!
