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Matthijs de Ligt brings a wealth of experience and leadership as a professional footballer, having captained Ajax at a young age and played for top clubs across Europe. He now applies his defensive talents to the Premier League.
Matthijs de Ligt was previously affiliated with Adidas, wearing Adidas X models regularly from 2019 to 2022. There were reports in 2023 that he might rejoin Adidas after a period with Nike.
Matthijs de Ligt, born on 12 August 1999 in Leiderdorp, Netherlands, began his football journey at the Ajax youth academy at age nine. Despite initial concerns about his speed and physique, de Ligt quickly developed into a prominent talent. He made his senior debut for Ajax in September 2016, where he became the club’s second-youngest goalscorer behind Clarence Seedorf. His rapid progression saw him become Ajax’s youngest-ever captain in March 2018. Over his three years with Ajax, he made 117 appearances, scoring 13 goals and contributing to a domestic double. His tenure also included reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2019 and winning the Golden Boy award in December 2018, recognizing him as the best young European footballer under 21.
In July 2019, de Ligt moved to Serie A champions Juventus for a fee of €75 million. During his three seasons in Italy, he featured in 117 matches, scoring eight goals, and helped the club secure a Serie A title in 2019–20, an Italian Cup in 2020–21, and the Supercoppa Italiana in 2020. His consistent performances and leadership qualities continued to grow. In July 2022, he transferred to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. He played 73 matches for Bayern, scoring five goals, and contributed to their Bundesliga title win in 2022–23 and the DFL-Supercup in 2022.
Matthijs de Ligt joined Manchester United in the summer of 2024, arriving with fellow Bayern Munich defender Noussair Mazraoui. He quickly became a central figure in Ruben Amorim’s defense, making 42 appearances in his debut campaign (2024/25) and scoring two goals. His career has also been marked by significant international representation for the Netherlands national team, making his senior debut in 2017 and having earned over 50 caps. He participated in UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2024, though he did not feature in the latter. His impressive career includes numerous individual accolades, recognizing him as one of the most promising defenders in contemporary football.
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