Ex-Chelsea assistant Henk ten Cate rejected Ajax job to star in a Dutch detective show

Former Chelsea assistant Henk ten Cate is said to have declined the Ajax job in favour of pursuing a career in acting.

Dutch giants Ajax recently sacked Maurice Steijn after he won just five Eredivisie points from seven matches this season.

Such a tally signalled a dreadful start to their campaign for the 36-time league champions, who sit rock bottom of the table.

John van 't Schip is currently in interim charge as Ajax eye their next manager, although they can count Ten Cate out of the running.

He was approached by the club but declined, with former Dutch player Johan Derksen revealing on TV show Veronica Inside the unusual reason as to why.

«I heard that Henk ten Cate was approached first, because John van 't Schip was of course in that difficult situation with his wife [who sadly died of cancer in October].

»Henk didn't do it for a very strange reason. He will play the role of chief inspector in a police series, Sleepers, for Videoland, ten episodes. That is a bit difficult to put together."

Derksen added: «I don't think Henk was in the mood either, because Henk has seen this player material and thought: 'I will never come fifth with this mess.'»

Sleepers aired its first series last year, with the show's plot about a corrupt police office, who is played by Robert de Hoog.

Ten Cate is set to star alongside him as he puts his footballing experience to one side and features on television screens.

The 68-year-old's managerial career began in 1990 at his former club Go Ahead Eagles but agreed to join Chelsea from Ajax in assistant coaching role in 2007.

He featured in dugout alongside Avram Grant, with the Blues reaching the Champions League final against Manchester United.

Ten Cate was sacked just over a week after their defeat in