Manchester United are finally granting Matthijs de Ligt something he begged for in October

Manchester United are finally granting Matthijs de Ligt something he begged for back in October before Erik ten Hag was sacked from his position as manager.

Matthijs de Ligt joined Manchester United from Bayern Munich in a deal worth an initial £35 million, arriving with the expectation of becoming a key figure in Erik ten Hag’s lineup.

His start at Old Trafford was shaky, with a few early struggles, but he gradually won over the fans with his passionate performances and some impressive displays.

However, with Ten Hag’s departure and Rúben Amorim’s arrival, De Ligt has had to adjust to a back-three system, making it difficult for him to establish a consistent role.

He has been deployed across all three centre-back positions and has shown promise in the central role, and although Harry Maguire has occupied that spot for most of 2025 so far, De Ligt has excelled of late with the Englishman injured.

De Ligt plea prior to Ten Hag’s sacking

De Ligt has been linked with Manchester United many times since his rise to prominence at Ajax, although he took journeys to both Juventus and Bayern before finally landing at Old Trafford in 2024.

De Ligt has played under eight permanent managers since he made his senior debut, including under Ten Hag at two clubs, and in October, he spoke about how he wishes he could play under a coach for a sustained period.

“To be fair, like, it’s quite funny because in my career, I never had a trainer for longer than one and a half seasons,” De Ligt told media earlier this season.

“So this is something that, yeah, I hope I can have now that I have a trainer or a manager who stays longer with me as a player so you can grow more together also.”

United have finally given De Ligt what he wants

Although Ten Hag was sacked just two weeks after the Dutch defender declared his wish for a long-term coach, it feels as if he will finally have his chance to have this under Amorim.

United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was unocquivical when stating that he would like to see the United head coach remain at the club long-term despite the recent poor form, and with De Ligt’s performacnes only improving, it feels the 25-year-old will stay at the club for a long time, too.

Many fans have been praising De Ligt’s tenacity and endurance at United despite previous concerns about his injury record, with those who watch him regularly stating he has the feel of a United-type centre-back of old.

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Amorim has been quick to praise De Ligt following a series of fantastic performances. The defender has played every minute of the club’s last eight games, including 120 against Fulham.

“I think in the last three weeks, Mata is doing incredible things,” the United boss told club media when asked about the defensive performance.

“I hope he is going to the national team, don’t play a lot of games… but play a little bit. He is doing amazing.”

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