AJAX have admitted to providing ‘inadequate’ on-field medical treatment for Abdelhak Nouri after the former midfielder collapsed.

Nouri collapsed during a pre-season friendly last year, the Dutch club’s General Manager, Edwin van der Sar, said on Tuesday.

He suffered a cardiac arrest during the match against German club, Werder Bremen, in July 2017.

Despite being revived on the pitch and airlifted to a hospital, the 21-year-old suffered “serious and permanent” brain damage.

“We recognise our responsibility and liability for the consequences of this.

“For a long time we were convinced that Abdelhak had received the best possible care on the field,’’ Van der Sar said at a news conference.

The Dutch club said it had sought an external opinion during the incident and acted accordingly.

However, further investigations showed that a defibrillator should have been used sooner in the treatment.

“Had this happened, it’s possible that Abdelhak would have come out in a better condition.

“This isn’t certain, but it’s a possibility,’’ the former Manchester United goalkeeper added.

Nouri, born in Amsterdam to parents of Moroccan descent, made 15 appearances for Ajax in his debut 2016-17 season. (Reuters/NAN)

– Jun. 26, 2018 @ 11:15 GMT |