Matthijs de Ligt offers surprise praise to Man United teammate after Leicester City win – it shows his leadership

Matthijs de Ligt offered some surprise praise to one of his Manchester United teammates after the 3-0 win over Leicester City which showed his leadership.

Manchester United secured an impressive victory at Old Trafford on Sunday, moving closer to the Premier League’s top four.

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s team looked strong and in control throughout, facing little threat from Leicester City.

Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring with a stunning long-range strike after Amad Diallo set him up with a clever back-heel.

The captain contributed to United’s second goal with a powerful header in the box, though it was ultimately recorded as an own-goal by Victor Kristiansen.

Alejandro Garnacho capped off the win with a beautiful strike into the top corner late in the second half.

With Van Nistelrooy as interim manager, United achieved three wins and a draw, giving incoming manager Ruben Amorim a solid foundation to start his tenure.

De Ligt’s praise for Zirkzee

Matthijs de Ligt once again had an impressive performance in the defence as United grabbed their fifth clean sheet of the Premier League season.

However, the Dutch defender took time after the game during an interview with club media to praise the impact from Joshua Zirkzee as a second-half substitute.

“Obviously, when you come to a new team it’s always a little bit of an adjustment period,” De Ligt said about the summer signings.

“The problem is that nobody, also from the outside, gives you this time. So it’s not an excuse, you have to start from the beginning.

“I think the new signings… I also have to say a big compliment to Josh [Zirkzee], how he came in.

“Really strong with the ball, perfect. He gave us so much space to breath and made it so much easier for us.”

De Ligt’s leadership on show

Of course, many of those who watched the game would have not noticed much from Zirkzee, who has had a difficult few weeks at United.

Yet, the praise from De Ligt is a great display of his leadership which was spoken about so much before he signed.

Like the defender says, it is sometimes difficult to adjust to a new club and system – particularly if you’re coming in as a United striker these days.

Not many people will afford you time, which is why it is important for the players to remain tight-nit and together.

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