THE DEATH of Hakim Ziyech’s father almost drove him from football , He was only ten years when his dad passed away, fell into a destructive spiral of drink and drugs after the tragedy.
In December 2013, Ziyech's Father passed away.
Ziyech “I remember it well, it was winter, just after Christmas, my father was in bed in the living room. He was sick for some time.
“I had to go to bed that night but wanted to stay with him. Eventually, I fell asleep on the edge of his bed with him. Around midnight I woke up and went upstairs to my bedroom.
“A few hours later, around three o’clock, I heard family members crying downstairs.
“I went to the living room. My father was dead. And there you are, a ten-year-old boy . ”
He said: “I didn’t go to school anymore. Football didn’t matter to me either. I was completely gone.”
Ziyech owed a lot of his mother who did her best to save the proper life for him and his another nine siblings.
Ziyech said: “My mum has not had an easy life. She was only 18 years old when she came to Holland.
“My dad had been out here for a few years and my mum had to learn the language, which was not easy.
“She had to work hard to help my dad to get a wage to keep the family going. Life was hard for us.
“Mum had to raise nine kids – and some of us were not the easiest kids to look after.”
Ziyech said: “I didn’t even dream of one day being voted the best player in the country [Holland].
“When I was a kid in Dronten, I played my first games when I was five-years-old and within one season a bigger club approached me to play for them.
“Two years later, I signed for Heerenveen and even then it still did not go through my mind that I could become a professional footballer one day.
“All I did was play five-a-side on the streets with my big brothers and other big lads. I was always the smallest kid.
Ajax playmaker Ziyech will join Chelsea this summer and the Moroccan star believes that the struggles of his past will ensure he's ready for anything at Stamford Bridge.
Ziyech said: “I can handle absolutely anything. I don’t need a mental coach around me to keep myself strong. I have been through quite a lot in life.
“Losing your dad is the worst thing that can happen to a young boy. Anything that happens in life after that is relative.”
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