Commitment to youth sold Boro to Marvin

Jul 27 2008 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

THE lure of first-team football in a vibrant young side convinced Marvin Emnes to turn down possible Champions League action at Ajax in favour of Boro.

Now, his sights are set on taking the Teessiders into the top half of the Premier League — and possibly Europe.

Gareth Southgate’s commitment to youth persuaded Emnes that he would be better off a player at Boro than a spectator in Holland.

And the 20-year-old winger doesn’t expect to be languishing in lower mid-table — as he did at Sparta Rotterdam last season — at the Riverside.

“I spoke with my agent and some other people and everybody convinced me that Middlesbrough is a club that offers a lot of opportunities to young players,” said Emnes.

“I could have gone to Feyenoord or Ajax. If I had gone to Ajax, they are a team that buys a lot of players, some from abroad with a lot of experience, so I’m guessing I would have got fewer chances there.

“And the playing style at Feyenoord is very different from the style I used to play at Sparta and I would probably have got fewer chances over there too.

“It’s up to me now to grab this opportunity that Middlesbrough have given to me. It’s a new challenge. A lot of things are waiting out there for me and I can’t wait to grab them.”

But don’t be fooled into thinking young Marvin is all “me, me, me”.

“The most important thing is that we get into the top half of the Premier League — the first nine,” he added. “But we hope for better — we will fight to get as high as possible.

“The squad here is very good. There are a lot of young players here but also some with more experience. We are a tight group, there’s a unity among us and we are all prepared to fight for each other.”