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Unsporting Ajax defender Joël Veltman tricks opponent into pausing for injury
(Image: Twitter/@HasBeijink)

VIDEO: Unsporting Ajax defender tricks opponent into pausing for injury

Runs past player when they look the other way.

En @Cidi_nieuws nomineert @joel_veltman tot Jood van de Dag. #ajaspa #joelveltman pic.twitter.com/ctFJ7GWzMK

— Has Beijink🔺 (@HasBeijink) February 12, 2017

See unsporting Ajax defender Joël Veltman act as if he was stopping play because of an injured player who was sprawled out on the pitch nearby, only to run past his opponent with the ball when they were tricked into looking the other way.

With the home side 2-0 up in the second half of their clash with Sparta Rotterdam at the Amsterdam Arena on Sunday afternoon, Veltman put his hands up, appearing to indicate that his teammate required medical assistance.

But it seems it was all just a cunning ploy to allow him an easy opportunity to put a cross in.

Veltman addressed his actions following the game, quoted in the Dutch Metro newspaper as saying:

Ah, it was a trick.

Bertrand was on the ground and I thought, I can use this.

Then I pretended I’d cross the ball.

Then the boy looked around and at that moment I thought, I’ll just go along with it.

I also know that you do not get any prizes for this, but it was nothing more than a trick. I can laugh about it.

In the locker room they told me, “If you had done that to me, you would have been a dead shovel.”

What would I have done if there was a goal scored from the cross? A goal is a goal.

The player has since apologised for his actions, in both Dutch and English, reportedly to ‘reach the angry English soccer fans’:

(1/2) Coming back on my action and reaction in regards to yesterday’s game against Sparta, and in particular to Iván Calero,

— Joël Veltman (@joel_veltman) February 13, 2017

(2/2) my sincere apologies! Looking back, I should not have done this.

— Joël Veltman (@joel_veltman) February 13, 2017