Sherida Spitse has extended her expiring contract with Ajax Women on Tuesday. The 35-year-old midfielder is now contracted in Amsterdam until the summer of 2027.
Spitse has been playing for Ajax since January 2021. The 243-time international transferred from Norwegian Valerenga IF. Previously, she played for LSK Kvinner FK, sc Heerenveen, and FC Twente. Spitse has played 138 matches for Ajax so far.
“We are extremely happy that Sherida will remain connected to Ajax for longer,” says technical director Alex Kroes on the Ajax website. “She naturally has a lot of experience, and in terms of character, Sherida is a unique player.”
“She is not the record international for the Dutch national team for nothing, with an unparalleled number of international matches in Europe to her name. Sherida is a natural leader and an exemplary professional. Both on and off the field, she is of great value to our selection.”
Ajax and Spitse won the national title in 2023. A year earlier, the club won the KNVB Cup. Last season, Ajax disappointingly finished third in the Eredivisie. The club was also eliminated early from the KNVB Cup and the Champions League.
Spitse: ‘I want to win prizes with Ajax’
Spitse says that a foreign club was not an option for her. “And within the Netherlands, there is only one club, and that is Ajax. I figured it out fairly quickly. It’s nice that there is clarity just before the European Championship.”
The captain feels fit enough to perform for Ajax. “Of course, you sometimes think: do I want something else, maybe towards the coaching profession? But I would now like to win prizes with Ajax. So I’ll stay a bit longer, and I’m very happy and proud of that.”
Spitse is preparing with Oranje for the European Championship in Switzerland, which starts on July 2. Bondscoach Andries Jonker’s team is in a group with France, England, and Wales. Oranje will play a farewell match against Finland next week Thursday.