Donny van de Beek: A humble hero

‘Donny, one of us,’ read a banner unfurled by the group who, amid billowing flare smoke, chanted for the 23-year-old midfielder who had called the Johan Cruyff Arena home until his move to Old Trafford a week earlier.

“That kind of farewell has happened a few times before from Ajax supporters when a player has left,”says Dutch football journalist Elko Born,

“but they have a really special relationship with Donny van de Beek. He’s come from the club’s Academy, he comes across as just a really normal, regular guy and people have always liked that about him. Obviously he’s done very well since he came up to the first team and, all the way along, people have tended to really like him.”There has…