Hakim Ziyech was born on the 19th of March 1993, and he is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Premier League club Chelsea. Ziyech is nicknamed “The Wizard”, a title given to him by Ajax supporters.
As a matter of fact, Hakim Ziyech is known for his finishing, dribbling, long passes, technique, and ability from free kicks. He was selected as one of the 20 best players in the UEFA Champions League for the 2018–19 season in 2019. At the end of the same year, he was ranked 29th in The Guardian’s list of “The 100 best footballers in the world”.
Club career
Heerenveen
The 29-year old was born in Dronten in the Netherlands. And, between frame of 2001 and 2007, he played for the youth academy of Reaal Dronten and ASV Dronten. In 2007, he joined the Heerenveen academy.
Ziyech made his formal debut for Heerenveen in the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Europa League on the 2nd of August 2012, against Rapid București, playing a total of 53 minutes before being substituted. However, Hakim made his Eredivisie debut for the club on 10 August, in a 0–2 loss to NEC. There, he scored his first goal for Heerenveen in a 2–0 win over NAC Breda, on 10 August 2013. And on the 23rd of August, Ziyech provided two assists in a 3–3 draw with Ajax. Ziyech scored and provided an assist in a 5–2 win over Waalwijk on the 8th of November.
Twente
Hakim Ziyech joined Twente for €3.5m, signing on a three-year contract and taking the number 10 shirt on the 18th of August 2014. And on the 5th of October, Ziyech scored once and provided an assist in a 2–2 draw with AZ Alkmaar. Ziyech scored twice in a 2–2 draw with Willem II on the 6th of March 2015. Hakim on the 10th of May, provided three assists in a 3–0 home win over Dordrecht. Again, on the 17th of May, Ziyech scored twice and provided an assist in a 3–1 away win over his former club Heerenveen. The young star Ziyech finished the season with 11 goals and 15 assists in the Eredivisie.
Ajax
Hakim Ziyech signed for Ajax on a five-year deal on the 30th of August 2016, with a reported transfer of €11m. And on the 15th of September, Ziyech was given a red card in the 79th minute, in a 2–1 win over Panathinaikos in the opening group game of the Europa League. After a frame of six days, on 21 September, he scored his first goal for Ajax in a 5–0 win over Willem II in the KNVB Cup. Hakim Ziyech scored his first league goal for the club in a 3–2 win over Utrecht on the 2nd of October. The young, on the 20th of October, scored in a 2–2 draw with Celta Vigo in the Europa League. Again, on the 3rd of November, he scored in the reverse fixture against Celta Vigo in the Europa League, a 3–2 win. Still the same year, on the 4th of December, he scored a penalty in a 2–0 win over Groningen. The following year, on the 15th of January 2017, Ziyech scored twice in a 3–1 away win over Zwolle. And on the 29th of January, he scored in a 3–0 win over Den Haag.
Again his career statistics help present that in the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League group stage, Ziyech scored one goal each in a 3–0 away win against Valencia, and in a 2–0 away win over Lille. Unfortunately, Ajax lost 1–0 at home to Valencia to be eliminated at the group stage.
Chelsea
2020–21 season
It was announced on the 14th of February 2020, that Ajax and Chelsea had reached an agreement for the transfer of Ziyech for a fee of €40 million (potentially increasing to a maximum of €44 million, with variable factors). The young talent joined the Premier League club for the 2020–21 season. After the frame of ten days, Chelsea announced they had agreed on personal terms with Ziyech and that he had signed a five-year contract.
Hakim Ziyech made his league debut for Chelsea on 17 October 2020, in a 3–3 home draw against Southampton after he came off from the bench. The playmaker scored his first Chelsea goal in a 4–0 away win over Krasnodar on matchday two of the Champions League on the 28th of October 2020.
The winger won the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final with Chelsea 1-0 against Manchester City, but did not come off the bench in the match on the 29th of May 2021. However, he started ten matches and scored two goals in Chelsea’s run to the final of the competition, including one against Atlético Madrid in the Round of 16 second leg at Stamford Bridge.
2021–22 season
The 29-year old scored against Villarreal to give Chelsea their first UEFA Super Cup in 23 years on the 11th of August 2021, as they won on penalties. Hakim was subbed off shortly before half-time with his arm in a sling after challenging for a header inside his own penalty area and landing badly. And on the 18th of January 2022, he scored in a 1-1 draw against Brighton. Ziyech also scored a wonderful curling shot against Tottenham Hotspur in a 2-0 Victory on the 23rd of January 2022.
The Moroccan international was an extra-time substitute as Chelsea won the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup title on the 12 of February 2022.
International career
Netherlands
Hakim was born in the Netherlands into a Moroccan family, and he was eligible to play for either Netherlands or Morocco national team at international level. The young star played for Dutch national youth teams, playing for the under-19’s, under-20’s and under-21’s. Nevertheless, he opted to play for Morocco at senior level. Hakim Ziyech received his first call-up to the senior squad in May 2015, for friendly matches against the United States and Latvia.
Morocco
In the month of September 2015, Hakim confirmed his choice to represent Morocco on the international stage. The former Ajax star made his debut for the national team on 9 October, in a 1–0 defeat to Ivory Coast. And on the 27th of May 2016, he scored his first two goals for Morocco, in a 2–0 win over Congo. Ziyech also scored in a 2–0 win over São Tomé and Príncipe in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match on the 4th of September. He was not selected for the final 23-man squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
However, Hakim Ziyech announced his retirement from international football at the age of 28 on the 8th of February 2022. This is because he had fallen out with manager Vahid Halilhodžić, who had accused him of feigning injury. Ziyech and his Moroccan teammate Noussair Mazraoui on the 13th March 2022, both rejected Vahid Halilhodžić invitation to represent the Morocco national football team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification CAF Third Round against DR Congo.
Hakim Ziyech’s net worth
According to Forbes update, as of April 2022, the Dutch player has an estimated net worth of $7 million and received a salary of about $6.8 million per year in Chelsea. Following his recent successes, we are confident that endorsements and sponsorship deals will come knocking on his doors in no distant time.
Hakim Ziyech salary
The young star signed a 5 year / $28 million contract with Chelsea F.C., including an annual average salary of $6.8 million. In 2022, Ziyech will earn a base salary of $6.8 million while carrying a cap hit of $6.8 million.
In all, Hakim Ziyech, being one of the top 20 best football players of UEFA Champions League Season 2018-19, he is a young and one of the most talented attacking midfielders ever in Ajax history. Ziyech is well known for his dribble, speed, and free-kick ability. He grew as a football fan and he struggled a lot during his childhood football days.
Honours
Ajax
Eredivisie: 2018–19
KNVB Cup: 2018–19
Johan Cruyff Shield: 2019
UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2016–17
Chelsea
UEFA Champions League: 2020–21
UEFA Super Cup: 2021
FIFA Club World Cup: 2021
FA Cup runner-up: 2020–21, 2021–22
EFL Cup runner-up: 2021–22
Individual
Mars d’Or (Moroccan Player of the Year): 2016
Lion d’Or African Footballer of the Year: 2018
Eredivisie Team of the Year: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
Eredivisie Best Player: 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19
SC Heerenveen Player of the Year: 2013–14
FC Twente Player of the Year: 2014–15
AFC Ajax Player of the Year: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
AFC Ajax Goal of the Season: 2019–20
Dutch Footballer of the Year: 2017–18
Eredivisie Player of the Month: October 2018, August 2019
UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2018–19
CAF Team of the Year: 2019
IFFHS CAF Men Team of The Year: 2020
France Football Africa Team of the Year: 2018, 2019, 2020
Goal Africa Team of the Year: 2017, 2018, 2019
FA Cup Team of the Year: 2020–21