Player Analysis: Matthijs de Ligt

Matthijs De Ligt grabbed the attention of the football world as a young defender who had emerged from the Ajax youth academy and became an integral part of the senior squad.

At the tender age of 19, he led the Amsterdammers to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2018/19, defeating some illustrious clubs along the way including his current club Juventus.

This prompted the Bianconeri to purchase the Dutch youngster for €75 million in the summer of 2019, and after some initial struggles adapting to Italian football, De Ligt has become an important part of the Juve backline.

It seemed that De Ligt was destined for a great career from a young age. He made his debut for Ajax at the age of 17 in September 2016 in a Dutch Cup first round fixture against Willem II Tilburg.