Matthijs de Ligt
Country: Netherlands
Date of birth: 12/08/1999 (17 years old)
Place of birth: Leiderdorp (Netherlands)
Height: 188cm
Youth career: Ajax Amsterdam
Current club: Ajax Amsterdam/Jong Ajax
Squad number: —
Current national team: Netherlands U-19
Position: central defender, defensive midfielder, central midfielder
Preferred foot: right
Market value (by transfermarkt.de): 100.000 €
Tournaments participated in: ABN AMRO Future Cup 2015, 2015 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification elite round (1/0), 2015 UEFA European Under-17 Championship (2/0), 2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification elite round (3/0), 2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship (5/0), UEFA Youth League 2015/2016 (7/1)
Contract until: 30.06.2018
Player’s agent: unknown
Transfer rumours: —
Similar type of player: Vincent Kompany
Strengths:
– passing 
– aerial duels
– athleticism
– tackling and intercepting
– positioning 
– concentration 
– anticipation
– ability to read the game
– marking 
Weaknesses:
– he may struggle a bit against very fast forwards
Style of play:
– elegant, complete and dominant defender
– large, consistent, and physically strong player
– capable of playing at both centre back and defensive midfield thanks to his vision, ability to read the game and tactical awareness
– known for his composure, elegance, ball playing ability, and confidence in possession
– composed on the ball
– well-fit, hard-working, and quick at anticipating the movement of the opponents
– accurate and tenacious tackler
– likes to spread play with good long-range diagonals
– extremely dominant in the air
– indirect set-piece threat
– high tackling and interception rate
– very good at breaking down opposition plays due to his positional sense, defensive attributes, tactical intelligence, and ability to read the game
– able to control the threat of the attacker without causing an imbalance in the defensive line
– concentrated, determined and commited player with very good rate of individual and collective work
– natural leader
He is best suited to playing as:
Central defender in 4-3-3.
Video:
Achievements:
ABN AMRO Future Cup 2015 runner-up with Ajax.
ABN AMRO Future Cup 2015 best player of the tournament award.
Eredivisie U-19 2014/2015 U-19 winner with Ajax.
Eredivisie U-19 2015/2016 U-19 winner with Ajax.
Ajax talent of the year 2016.
League summary (as for 21 September 2016):
Eerste Divisie 2016/2017 (ongoing): 7 matches/0 goals (Jong Ajax)
Description:
Dutch football is going through a small crisis and fans are strongly hoping that the next generations will change this state of things. One of the biggest hopes to accomplish that is Matthijs de Ligt – product of a famous Ajax Amsterdam youth academy. He is thought to be one of the biggest born in 1999 along with Tahith Chong, Justin Kluivert, Donyell Malen and Leandro Fernandes. Despite being 17, he has already experienced adult football since he started playing for Jong Ajax this season, where he is receiving really positive reviews for his performances. He is also a regular ‘Oranje’ youth international, having been capped at the U-15, U-16, U-17, and U-19 levels – he earned almost 30 caps already – which is quite impressive for a 17-year old.
Quotes:
‘Matthijs de Ligt is one of the most promising football talents in Holland at the moment and is touted to be the next Jan Vertonghen due to the similarity in skills and playing style. What caught my interest with him was his formerly mentioned versatility but also his technical abilities in terms of passing and the range of his passes which unlocks any opponents block – quite similar to a deep lying playmaker.’
(passion4fm.com)
Football Talent Scout potential rating:
9/10 
Player has potential to become a key player in a top European club.
Links:
