UEFA.com's weekly wonderkid: Matthijs de Ligt
A product of Ajax’s academy, 17-year-old Matthijs de Ligt has been promoted to the senior squad despite only making his debut for the reserves in August. Meet the two-footed defender who became Ajax’s youngest ever starter in European competition.
Name: Matthijs de Ligt
Club: Ajax
Debut: 21 September 2016 v Willem II (Dutch Cup)
Position: centre-back
Nationality: Dutch
Born: 12 August 1999
Preferred foot: right
Height: 183cm
They say …
“This lad is making great steps and he has a wonderful future ahead of him. He is well-advanced for his age – he showed that in training and that’s why we selected him for the first team.”
Peter Bosz, Ajax coach
“Matthijs is what I call a modern central defender. He’s big and strong and is also a complete player.”
Wim Jonk, former head of youth development at Ajax
Background …
Born in Leiderdorp, De Ligt did not take up football until he was six, initially preferring tennis. He impressed scouts during a three-year spell at local club FC Abcoude before joining Ajax at nine. In June, the teenager was named ‘Talent of the Future’ by his club, an award previously given to the likes of Daley Blind (2008), John Heitinga (2001), Christian Eriksen (2010), Wesley Sneijder (2002) and Rafael van der Vaart (2000). “It’s a huge honour, especially considering the players have won this award in the past,” he said. In October, the 17-year-old was promoted to the first team just a month after making an instant impact on his senior debut.
Playing style …
A natural leader, De Ligt is an elegant two-footed central defender. Dominant in the air, he is blessed with strength, fine distribution and composure, and is able to play out from the back thanks to his confidence in possession, while his intelligent positioning helps him deny pacy forwards. With his ability to read the game, he could even play in midfield.
Shades of …
He has been likened to Jan Vertonghen due to similar forward surges, a propensity to create an extra man in midfield, and calmness on the ball. However, a powerful shot and body strength draw parallels with Ronald Koeman.
Eureka moment …
On 21 September, just a month after turning 17, he capped a memorable first-team debut at the Amsterdam ArenA by registering with a trademark towering header in a 5-0 Dutch Cup success against Willem II, becoming Ajax’s second-youngest goalscorer ever, after Clarence Seedorf, who struck in March 1993 aged 16.
The defender also emulated club heroes Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Patrick Kluivert by scoring on his debut. Featuring in a UEFA Europa League group stage tie against Panathinaikos in November, he became (at 17 years, 104 days) the club’s youngest ever European starter. Three days later, De Ligt made his league debut against Heerenveen as a substitute.
Best-case scenario …
Following his promotion to the seniors, the youngster agreed a one-year contract extension – binding him to the club until 2019. “I’m playing with the first team on a regular basis, which is something that I never would have expected last season,” he said. Could form a strong defensive partnership with 20-year-old Colombian Davinson Sánchez for years to come. An early Under-21 call-up with Oranje beckons.
He says …
“It’s been a great year to date. Everything’s going very fast. It’s going very well now, but you need to watch out that you don’t take a dive.”
“I’m trying to play as many minutes as I can. Whether it’s with the first team or the reserves, I don’t mind. Of course, my goal is to someday play in the [Amsterdam] ArenA on a weekly basis.”
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