Julian Rijkhoff’s Resurgence: A Forgotten Dortmund Gem Shines with Dream Goals

Julian Rijkhoff’s transition to senior football didn’t happen as quickly as he had hoped at BVB, and his return to Ajax was also bumpy. Is a seemingly backward step now leading to his breakthrough?

Julian Rijkhoff’s time at Borussia Dortmund concluded in early February 2024 without a single professional appearance, a far cry from the aspirations the talented striker held upon his arrival in Westphalia over three years prior.

«Of course, to become a professional as early as possible,» Rijkhoff told BVB’s YouTube channel in September 2022. After a year and a half in Dortmund, the Dutchman had just completed a season where he could have still played for the U17s, but instead became a pivotal player for Borussia’s U19s, contributing to their German A-Juniors championship title. He scored 17 goals in 17 league appearances, including a brace in the U19 championship semi-final first leg against arch-rivals Schalke (5-1).

However, his dream of playing for the senior team never materialized. Instead, Rijkhoff fulfilled this desire at Ajax Amsterdam, his true heart’s club, where he spent eight and a half years in their youth academy before moving to Germany. He returned to Ajax in February 2024. Today, two years later, it appears that a seemingly backward step might be the catalyst for the impatient-seeming striking talent’s career to truly take flight.

But let’s go back to the beginning. Rijkhoff, as a 17-year-old, was part of BVB’s Asia tour in November 2022 during the World Cup in Qatar, which took place without the national team players. He might have hoped for initial opportunities with the first team in the following half-season, but it remained with matches for the U19s. «We naturally want development to happen as quickly as possible, but we also have to give the boys the necessary time they simply need,» emphasized Lars Ricken, now sporting director and then head of youth development at BVB, in 2023.

From the player’s perspective, impatience reportedly grew. After all, the early transfer of the then-16-year-old forward, which was viewed critically around Ajax, was made with the aim of quickly progressing towards top-level professional football. «The club has shown what a good environment it offers talented players for their development at the highest level,» Rijkhoff’s agent Dick van Burik explained to Bild in February 2021.

Julian Rijkhoff Gained a Highly Valuable Experience from BVB

However, Dortmund officials apparently believed that Rijkhoff’s physical development wasn’t yet sufficient for a permanent step up to the first team. A return to Ajax was already discussed in the summer of 2023. Since Rijkhoff wasn’t in the A-team squad even once in 2023/24 and didn’t feature for the U23s, who were then active in the 3. Liga, his time in Dortmund definitively ended six months later, despite his consistently strong performances for the U19s.

«I always said I wanted to return to Ajax,» Rijkhoff rejoiced when his transfer was finally completed shortly before the winter transfer window of 2023/24 closed. Alongside his successes and numerous goals for Borussia’s U19s, and the valuable experiences in professional training, the young Dutchman took away another crucial building block for his future career from Dortmund, despite many disappointments: «I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I had stayed at Ajax,» Rijkhoff stated even after a year and a half at BVB, emphasizing that the decision to leave his familiar surroundings and adapt to a new environment had matured him immensely as a person.

With this maturity, the then-19-year-old naturally aimed for an immediate breakthrough at Ajax in the spring of 2024. Small successes quickly followed; Rijkhoff made ten substitute appearances for the first team in the remainder of the season, finally gaining the professional experience denied to him in Dortmund. He also scored six goals in 13 appearances for Jong Ajax, the B-team, in the second Dutch league.

Julian Rijkhoff’s Return to Ajax Didn’t Go as Hoped

It seemed set for Rijkhoff’s major breakthrough in 2024/25. However, the new Ajax coach, Francesco Farioli, proved to be no great supporter of the homegrown talent who had briefly moved to Dortmund. In the Europa League qualifiers, Rijkhoff made one substitute appearance, his only game for the first team that season. In the Eredivisie, he was only in the squad on the first matchday. After that, Farioli had no further use for Rijkhoff, who instead was consistently relegated to playing for the B-team.

Particularly disappointing was that when striker Wout Weghorst was injured for several weeks in February and March 2025, Farioli promoted Don-Angelo Konadu, one year younger, from the second team to the A-team squad instead of Rijkhoff, even giving him a few substitute appearances. Rijkhoff’s continued sidelining surprised former Ajax player Marciano Vink greatly: «Rijkhoff is doing quite well at Jong Ajax. Sometimes a coach needs to see the potential in a player,» Vink remarked on ESPN, subtly criticizing Farioli, and emphasizing that Rijkhoff «has the qualities. You just have to give him a chance.»

Last season, Rijkhoff managed nine goals in 29 second-division matches for Jong Ajax. And although Farioli moved to FC Porto last summer, Rijkhoff felt compelled to leave Ajax again – at least temporarily. The 21-year-old was loaned out to second-division club Almere City FC, who, after being relegated the previous season, are aiming for an immediate return to the Eredivisie.

Julian Rijkhoff: Through the Detour of Almere to His Dream Goal?

Not least due to its proximity to Amsterdam – the two cities are only about 25 kilometers apart – the season-long loan move made sense. Furthermore, Rijkhoff was already very familiar with the second Dutch league from his many games there with Jong Ajax. While he could have moved to smaller Eredivisie clubs, he consciously chose to step down to the second division. And considering Ajax’s stature, he accepted a step back by moving to a significantly smaller club.

«Playing in the lower regions of the Eredivisie isn’t always great either. As a striker, you often don’t get to shine,» Rijkhoff explained the idea behind his move to the lower league a few weeks ago, according to Voetbal International. Instead of fighting relegation in the top flight, the ex-Dortmund player preferred fighting for promotion and generally dominating a tier lower: «It’s better to play in the second division for a team that is often better than the opponent,» Rijkhoff said.

His decision has paid off so far, as Rijkhoff is Almere’s top scorer. In 39 appearances this season, the former Dutch youth international has already scored 18 goals and provided three assists. Rijkhoff has been particularly prolific in recent months, scoring 14 goals in 23 league games since early November.

Rijkhoff caused a particular stir in late January when he scored a dream goal from about 40 meters in the 4-3 victory against AZ Alkmaar II. Acting on instinct, he intercepted a pass in midfield, looked up briefly, saw the opposing goalkeeper far off his line, and perfectly lobbed the ball into the net from a great distance.

In early December, Rijkhoff had also scored in the 3-2 win against Jong Ajax and, naturally, refrained from excessive celebration. His contract in Amsterdam runs until 2027 – however, the top scorer has left it open whether his future lies back with the record Dutch champions after the season. With his strong performances this season, he has certainly attracted the interest of other ambitious clubs; a stay in Almere also seems not out of the question, at least if promotion back to the Eredivisie is achieved.

«First, we need to reach the playoffs,» Rijkhoff emphasized in mid-March, stating his focus. This has now been achieved; Almere is guaranteed a spot among the top 8 after the regular season. However, the road to promotion is still long – but Rijkhoff himself has also learned a great deal about patience.

Julian Rijkhoff: His Statistics Since Leaving BVB