Ajax defender Emmanuel Boakye will wear the colours of Eredivisie side Heracles Almelo for the remainder of the 2006-2007 season, officially until 30 June 2007. Ajax and Heracles agreed a one year loan deal, effective immediately. The Ghanaian defender extended his Ajax contract until 2008 in April, but would not have seen much action in Amsterdam this season, with defenders such as Stam, Vermaelen, Heitinga, Grygera and Ogararu above him in Henk ten Cate's pecking order.

Emmanuel Boakye was born in Ejura, Ghana, on 25 March 1985. He moved to The Netherlands in 1993, played for amateur side Zuidvogels (from the town of Huizen) as a child and for the FC Utrecht youth as a teenager. Ajax scouts discovered him in 2000. The defender, who can play as a right fullback but also in the center of defense, joined the Ajax B1 youth team in 2000.

Boakye was first added to the Ajax-1 squad in the fall of 2005 by head-coach Danny Blind, as many Ajax defenders were injured or suspended at the time. The youngster made his first team d?but on 24 September 2005 in the Eredivisie home game against Roda JC. In total, Emmanuel Boakye had six appearances for Ajax in the Eredivisie, plus another four in the post-season Eredivisie play-offs and one in the Dutch cup competition.

Ajax offered the player a contract renewal in April 2006, and the Ghanaian started the new season with the first squad, but at the end of the pre-season campaign Ajax and the player agreed that a transfer on loan would be best for his development. Boakye was soon linked with two Eredivisie outfits. When Sparta Rotterdam lost interest the choice for Heracles Almelo was easily made. (MP)