The Dutch defenseman enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame during his time at Ajax however, he admits to having difficult moments in Italian football.
Matthijs de Ligt admits his 2019 move to Juventus was a step back but the centre-back, who is 22, is determined to be an influential player in the future after the completion of the EUR77 million (PS65m/$79m) transfer to Bayern Munich.
The Netherlands international has been an established senior player since the year the year 2016 and has over 250 appearances at clubs in his record despite being in his early years.
An eruptive rise to fame led him to become the captain of Eredivisie big-names Ajax at 19 and also securing the highly coveted Golden Boy award, but it was a surprise to find him working alongside highly experienced stars like Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci as he left his homeland to Turin.
Did De Ligt take a step backwards at Juventus?
When he arrived to Italy, De Ligt was not seen as a leader on the field and when asked on ESPN about whether this was a backwards step in his career, the Dutchman declared: “Yes, you could affirm that.
“I am captain of Ajax and felt that I was obligated to be the leader of this team. Of of course, if choose a team which boasts such legendary players on defense and goals, especially for a player who is just 19 years old, it could be difficult to communicate your thoughts in the manner you would.
“In a way, I was less myself but I learned a lot and tried to absorb things every day to become a better player and leader.”
What other obstacles faced De Ligt face at Juventus?
A player with more than 38 international cap is thrilled to be beginning another chapter in the career of his alongside the reigning Bundesliga champions.
He believes that Bayern’s style of football will complement his game better than one he was forced to adjust to at Juve The man who signed him to the Bianconeri – former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri – leaving within one year of his debut to Serie A.
De Ligt added: “It’s an entirely different style of defense. At Ajax you are really aggressive You take risks At Juventus it’s about what’s behind you.
“In Italy the pace of the league is a more sluggish. They have won the four World Cups with this playing way, and I know that they believe it’s the best method to go about it.
“I arrived at Juventus with the goal of playing more offensive football due to the fact that Sarri is the head coach, and He had a very good fame in soccer. and played some amazing football alongside Napoli in addition to Chelsea.
“I was expecting more of the Ajax style there, but unfortunately after one year he was sacked.”
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