Matthijs de Ligt

Biography

Matthijs de Ligt (born 12 August 1999) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Manchester United and the Netherlands national team. Considered one of the best defenders in the world, he is known for his strength, leadership, aggressiveness, tackling and aerial ability. De Ligt made his debut for Ajax's senior team in September 2016 in a cup game against Willem II. He scored from a corner after 25 minutes, making him the club's second-youngest goalscorer ever behind Clarence Seedorf. On 24 May 2017, De Ligt became the youngest ever player (aged 17 years and 285 days) to appear in a major European final when he started against Manchester United in the Europa League final. In December 2018, he won the Golden Boy award given to the year's best footballer in Europe under the age of 21, becoming the first defender to do so. The following season, De Ligt helped Ajax capture a domestic double and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League. De Ligt's performances earned him a move to Serie A club Juventus in 2019, shortly before being awarded the Kopa Trophy for world's best under-21 player of the year. He would go on to help the Turin side retain the league title in his first season and reclaim the Italian Cup in his second. After three years in Italy, De Ligt would then join Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in 2022, again capturing a league title in his inaugural campaign. In 2017, De Ligt made his debut for the Netherlands at the age of 17, making him the youngest player to start for the national team since 1931. He featured for the side at UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 International Football Cup.