Matthijs de Ligt has revealed why he chose to sign for Manchester United in 2024, despite an impressive time at Bayern Munich.
Matthijs de Ligt joined Manchester United to play a key role in Erik ten Hag’s defence, but before de Ligt had settled into life in Manchester, Rúben Amorim had been appointed as the new head coach.
While he is no longer playing the role he was originally signed for, de Ligt has become a staple of Amorim’s defence, along with his fellow former Bayern Munich teammate Noussair Mazraoui.
This season alone, de Ligt has played in the centre of defence, while also switching to the right of the back three when Harry Maguire is chosen to start. The Dutchman can also play on the left of the back three, but Luke Shaw has nailed down that position for the time being.
Now 26 years old, de Ligt was once considered one of the best prospects in European football and had been linked to United several times before he finally joined in the summer of 2024.
His short career has already taken him to Juventus and Bayern Munich, after starting his journey at Ajax, where he captained the side at just 18 years old.
De Ligt reveals why he chose United
While he wasn’t always a regular starter, de Ligt was well-liked among the Bayern Munich fanbase for his grit and aggression in defence, so moving on wouldn’t have been an easy decision. In an interview with The Telegraph, de Ligt revealed why it had to be United when he left the German giants.
“As a kid, naturally, you looked to the Champions League finals and there was United and [Cristiano] Ronaldo. So I was always a big Ronaldo fan and a fan of United because of that,” said the 26-year-old centre-back.
“They [United] tried to buy me before, but it was probably not the right moment, or there were other options that at that time suited me better. But in the end maybe destiny brought me here… it’s a dream for every player to play for United.”
De Ligt went on to say: “I’ve been fortunate to play for four of the biggest clubs in the world. I’ve been at clubs where the history is enormous. All four are among the top teams in Champions League history with the most points.
“What also happens is if the history is big, the club also expects you to be as the history is. And this is a bigger pressure than when you are at a club where maybe there’s less history and you have to create history.
“You feel that. You can feel also in the stadium, you know, you can feel like this nostalgia. But I love it… I’ve never played in a club where they didn’t expect me to win.”
De Ligt should return to former role against Liverpool
Against Chelsea, de Ligt started on the right side of the back three, with Maguire playing in the centre. Unlike Leny Yoro and Shaw, de Ligt was comfortable at jumping out of the back three to close down a midfielder, something Amorim’s wide-centre-backs must do against certain opposition.
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Sunday’s game at Anfield will be one of the toughest of the season for United; therefore, Amorim may turn to Maguire to bring some stability to the backline. Rather than dropping de Ligt for the England international, he should simply drift to the right side.
This would leave Yoro without his natural spot in the side, but he should move to the left, allowing Shaw to play as the left-wing-back. Playing Shaw more advanced would work especially well if Mason Mount was chosen from the start.
De Ligt would be up against Cody Gakpo or Florian Wirtz in his new role and could use his experience to lock down two of Liverpool’s most creative players.
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