Ajax youngster wears Adidas boots for club games, Nike for his country

Sponsorships and boot deals are very much part of modern football these days.

You occasionally get situations where players play in their own boots – see the famous story when Paul Scholes came back from retirement and played in a £40 pair of boots he'd bought himself from JJB Sports.

But 17-year-old Ajax wonderkid Rayane Bounida has a rather unique situation with his boots right now. Despite being a Nike-sponsored athlete – as he's been since the age of 13 – he also wears Adidas while in action for Ajax.

Reports claim Bounida's contract with Ajax means he has to wear Adidas kit, including boots. The Dutch club's contract agreement with the German sportswear giant dictates all of their academy players use Adidas gear on the pitch.

In Belgian youth international matches, it seems Bounida is free to wear his Nike boots. He also qualifies for Morocco but he's a regular in Belgium's Under-17 side and has been tipped to reach the senior squad one day.

Bounida operates as an attacking midfielder, usually in the No.10 role but can also play off the left-wing, too.

He first emerged onto the scene as a 10-year-old wonderkid talent, with several of his highlight videos going viral on the internet.

After coming through the academy at Anderlecht, he was snapped up by Ajax in July 2022.

It remains to be seen whether the teenager's unique football boot situation will change. If he remains at Ajax, there is a chance that it may not, although these deals and contracts can often be renegotiated.

It will certainly be interesting to see how Bounida develops in the years to come.