New Delhi: According to Matthijs de Ligt, the pressure at Manchester United is “a lot more negative than positive” right now and is the most he has ever experienced throughout his career. The Dutchman discussed his career to far, which has already seen him play for some of the best teams in Europe, in an interview with Dion Dublin on Football Focus.
“Man United fits really well with the clubs I have already been at.” He said. At the age of 25, few other players have had as much club experience. In addition to one of the biggest clubs in Italy, De Ligt has played for the biggest clubs in the Netherlands, Germany, and England. It may ruin players who aren’t prepared for the pressure of playing for the club, as it may be the finest preparation a player could have before arriving at Old Trafford.
De Ligt admits that United are under tremendous pressure
Matthijs de Ligt has played for Ajax, Bayern and Juventus…
But he says the pressure at Manchester United “is the highest” he’s experienced.😬#MUFC #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/kHHEOr89FM
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) January 23, 2025
De Ligt is already familiar with the challenges of playing for United. The squad is under a lot of strain and is having a difficult season. The Dutch defender feels that the pressure of playing for United is more than anything he has ever encountered, even though he has played for some of the best teams in Europe.
“I think in every club that I’ve played the pressure is really high, but I think at United it’s the highest,” he told BBC Sport this week.
“The way we’ve performed this year, we know that it’s not good enough, and then the pressure gets bigger and bigger, and you feel it.”
As previously stated, De Ligt was still a teenager in 2019 and had the opportunity to join with United. As Ajax’s captain, he seemed to have the mindset necessary to handle the demands of playing for a great team. Surprisingly, though, even the 25-year-old acknowledges that he is almost relieved that he had experience at other major clubs prior to joining United, since joining United directly could have put too much pressure on him.
The big pressure on youngs guns
You don’t really need to be an expert to understand that this club’s pressure is distinct from that of practically any other football team in the world. Every United supporter is aware of it and has witnessed players like Alexis Sanchez and Jadon Sancho struggle as a result. However, it’s very amazing to hear a player acknowledge it. De Ligt is just being straightforward and stating what we already know, but you believe that the players ought to be more conscious of it.
De Ligt would have returned in the summer of 2019—especially because United wants to add more players with less experience. The Dutchman was nearly the same player as Leny Yoro at the time. regarded as one of the best young defenders in football. United has to make a lot of progress both on and off the field, but helping these players as much as possible and attempting to make the transition to the team simpler than it has been in the last ten years should be among the top priorities.
The pressure to perform should always be evident for United players, but in the midst of the upheaval, it has gradually become something that isn’t beneficial to anybody.
Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt talks about the negative pressure that the players face, playing for the Red Devils in an interview. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
