Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt has revealed one thing he is ‘really conscious’ about on the pitch after certain punishments he received at Juventus.
Manchester United signed Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2024 and he had a mixed debut campaign at Old Trafford.
But so far this season, De Ligt has arguably been United’s best player and he has played every minute in the Premier League so far under Ruben Amorim.
The Dutchman won the club’s Player of the Month award for August and has been solid in defence, either playing in the centre or on the right of the back three.
At just 26 years of age, De Ligt has played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe, with experience at Ajax, Juventus and Bayern Munich before his move to Old Trafford, and those experiences have clearly helped him.
De Ligt reveals what he’s ‘really conscious’ about after Juventus punishments
Following on from a positive performance and result against Liverpool at Anfield on the weekend, De Ligt spoke to club media about his form.
The defender was also asked about one aspect of his game on the pitch, as he regularly puts him arms behind his back when defending the box like many other centre-backs.
He explained that he has been ‘really conscious’ about giving away penalties through handballs since he was punished several times in a short period at Juventus.
In the modern game with VAR in place, defenders can never be too careful about how they defend inside the area and De Ligt’s best attributes are how he puts his body on the line in the penalty box.
“My first three months at Juventus, I was 19 years old and the ball touched my hand about five times in three months. I got punished three times for a penalty and stuff like that,” he explained.
“Since then, I am really conscious about this movement. Last season, I think I had a really unlucky one against Liverpool, when the ball just went from maybe half a metre to my hand.
“That is something I am really conscious about, also with blocking shots and stuff like that, keeping my body big but keeping my hands behind my back, so it’s not going to be a penalty for a handball.”
De Ligt puts his body on the line
Old school defenders would never have to worry about putting their hands behind their back because there was no technology to punish them but it’s a genuine concern nowadays.
De Ligt still manages to defend with intensity and power in those areas, though, which is the most important thing.
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After some doubts during his first season, the Dutchman is proving that he can be a very important player for United and he looks sharper than ever at the moment.
Amorim clearly values him in the backline and it is understandable due to his defensive capabilities. He might not be the best player on the ball, but he will put his body on the line to help stop potential goals and that is crucial.
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