Matthijs de Ligt notices that he is making great strides in his development as a Juventus player. At the top club from the Serie A, the emphasis is on other aspects of defending than was the case with Ajax, De Ligt says in an interview with Sky Italia. Moreover, the Dutchman learns a lot from the collaboration with renowned defenders such as Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.
De Ligt was missing in the first two months of the season due to a shoulder injury, while he missed four official matches last month due to a corona virus infection. He now says he is in ‘good shape’ physically. He is not only referring to the way in which he recovered from medical ailments, but also to the development he has gone through since he came over from Ajax in 2019. “I feel stronger and faster, while I also learned a lot on the tactical level. At Ajax the emphasis was on man coverage, while in Serie A more is done on zone coverage. I have become a better player because I have experience with both methods. “
Partly due to injuries at Bonucci and Chiellini, De Ligt formed a central duo with Merih Demiral against Crotone (3-0 win) on Monday. Since his arrival, however, the the Dutch International has benefited a lot from the collaboration with experienced colleagues. “Bonucci is a very strong defender. He has a very good insight into the game and is very good at the ball. He can send both short and long tailor-made passes. I know that I can still learn a lot from that”, De Ligt admits. “Chiellini is great as a driver in the sixteen meter area. I’ve never seen someone like him before. I often tell him that it looks like he has a magnet in his head because he’s always in the right place. He’s incredible. ”
De Ligt now mirrors his teammates, as Ajax’s youth player he took an example from the man who is his trainer nowadays. “Until I was fourteen I played centrally in midfield at Ajax. At that time I had two examples to whom I reflected: Sergio Busquets and Andrea Pirlo”, De Ligt reflects. “I watched a lot of videos of Pirlo. I really liked him as a football player. He was a good example to me.” At the age of fifteen, De Ligt was pushed back one line at Ajax; In previous interviews he indicated that he initially struggled with what he saw as a relegation to the rear, but that his training as a midfielder ultimately benefited him.
With Juventus, De Ligt is currently on the hunt for the renewal of the national title in Italy. With eight points behind leader Internazionale and only one match credit, the situation for the number three of Serie A is not too rosy. “It is difficult for all teams in the top. We have a strong team, but that also applies to Internazionale, Atalanta, Lazio, AS Roma and AC Milan”, says De Ligt. “For neutral spectators it is nice to see that so many teams are close together. Juventus is always the favorite at the start of the season, but this season there is more competition. We spilled points against it at the start of the season. smaller clubs, although I think that’s because we still had to get used to the Pirlo game. “
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