Ajax players joined third tier side Excelsior Massluis in welcoming an opposition player battling cancer onto the pitch with a standing ovation in their Dutch Cup match.

Excelsior youngster Devin Plank was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in his fibula nearly a year ago and had not played since October 2020 - until he was brought on as a last-minute substitute in his side's 9-0 defeat away at the Eredivisie giants on Thursday.

The emotional moment towards the end of the game saw Plank enter the pitch with all 22 players standing by the touchline to welcome him onto the turf for his first appearance since his diagnosis.

The 20-year-old striker was first made aware of the tumour at the start of last year after being admitted into hospital with pains in his leg. Doctors diagnosed it as a malignant tumour and Plank has been undergoing chemotherapy ever since.

When Excelsior were drawn against Ajax in the Dutch Cup, his club saw it as the perfect stage to welcome him back into the game - with doctors advising a maximum of two minutes on the pitch to not impact his recovery.

Even though the 20-year-old was on the pitch for a couple of minutes at best, Plank described the feeling as the 'best moment of his life'.

'I am very happy to have returned to the pitch, even though it was a short time,' he told ESPN after the game. 'It was an unforgettable moment

'We had already made four changes and I thought I was not going to come on. Fortunately, the coach did not forget me. I'm working every day to come back. I hope to have many minutes again as soon as possible.'

Away from the touching gesture, Ajax ran out comfortable 9-0 winners to reach the quarter-finals of the Dutch Cup.

The Eredivisie side were 5-0 up at half-time with young forward Danilo completing a hat-trick in the first-half before adding a fourth after the interval.

Defender Nicolas Tagliafico opened the scoring in the opening ten minutes while Youri Regeer also netted before the break. Substitutes Kristian Hlynsson and Mohamed Daramy also got in on the act, with the latter netting a brace.