Copyright dailymail
As Chelsea prepare to welcome Ajax to Stamford Bridge for the third match of their Champions League campaign, one of the former stars who played for both clubs weighed in on the fortunes of the two teams. But unlike many former professional footballers, Jesper Gronkjaer has gone some years without sharing his opinions publicly, having given up his lucrative career as a television pundit. Gronkjaer joined Chelsea from the Dutch club in 2000, having spent the previous two years in Amsterdam at start of his career. The 48-year-old is still fondly remembered in west London for scoring the deciding goal in Chelsea's winner-takes-all Premier League clash against Liverpool in 2003, which helped the club to secure Champions League football for the following season. Then dubbed 'the £20million match', the win and Gronkjaer's role in it was likely worth much more, as weeks later Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich made the decision to buy the club, transforming its fortunes. Current head coach Enzo Maresca even mentioned the goal at the end of last season, as Chelsea were again chasing a spot in the European top flight ahead of their final match against Nottingham Forest. 'They all dream about that, to be the one that scores the goal and we finish in the Champions League,' Maresca told reporters on the eve of the contest, inadvertently inspiring Levi Colwill to score the one goal needed to confirm their place. After additional spells at Birmingham City, Atletico Madrid, Stuttgart, and Copenhagen, Gronkjaer hung up his boots in 2011. But after a decade spent in football punditry, the former winger struggled to connect with his post-playing career, and was forced to take a nine-month absence from work amid a four-year battle with depression and stress. In an interview with Ajax's media team however, Gronkjaer revealed that he is in a good place, in part due to his new career as a builder. 'I feel really good,' he shared. 'I currently live in Aarhus, live a good life, and am far removed from the football world. 'I wanted to try something else, and now I'm in construction and apartment renovation, something completely new. During the last years of my career, I'd thought about it a few times, but I first became a pundit. 'I enjoy my free time,' Gronkjaer added. 'Back then, it wasn't a problem, but now my days aren't fully planned out. That's just how it was then, part of the job. 'As a footballer, you're always in a (very pleasant) bubble. But you're also quite isolated. Now I live more in the background and can do other things - skiing, padel, travelling - all the things I couldn't do while playing football.' However, Gronkjaer admitted that he missed the 'togetherness' of sport, adding: 'Professional football is an incredible learning experience. 'You learn about discipline, self-reliance, language, and how to handle pressure'. Maresca will hope that of the qualities listed by Gronkjaer, discipline looms large in the minds of his players on Wednesday night. Chelsea have picked up a staggering five red cards in their last six games. The Italian coach himself is not blameless however, picking up his own red card in the dying minutes of Chelsea's match against Liverpool, which saw him serve a touchline ban during their 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest over the weekend.
