Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake has insisted Chelsea midfielder Marco van Ginkel still has age on his side with regards to his attempts to turn his career around.
The Dutchman has been struggling with a knee injury and is now into the final year of his contract at Chelsea.
He has been on Chelsea’s books since 2013, but has only played 97 minutes of first-team football for the Blues and has had loan spells at AC Milan, Stoke City and PSV Eindhoven in recent years.
The midfielder is now 27 and may be unlikely to have a long career at Chelsea, but former Blue Ake insisted that his Dutch compatriot is still young enough to have a good career once he recovers.
He believes if Van Ginkel can return to the fold soon, he is still good enough to even be part of Frank Lampard’s Chelsea side because of his ability in the middle of the park.
Asked if Van Ginkel still has time to turn things around, Ake told The Athletic: “100 per cent. He is still young.
“Hopefully, he comes back soon and will continue doing what he was before. I’m sure when he comes back he will be at the top again.
“When we were away together, he didn’t talk about a return date. It’s a case of going day-by-day, check how things are going, and focus on his recovery.
"After that, we’ll see how it’s looking.
“If fully fit, could he help Chelsea this season? It’s not my decision but yes. In my opinion, he’s a top player.”
Van Ginkel led PSV Eindhoven to a league title during one of his loan stints.
