A biography for Matthijs de Ligthasn’t been written yet.
“I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. In the end you find your own rhythm.”
“I am settled in Manchester, I enjoy myself.”
“I know my role and I train hard every day to be important for the team.”
“As a defender, it's really important to communicate with the players in front of you and next to you. It makes it easier for yourself, if you talk to each other then they can maybe break a line for the striker or other small details, it can make a really big difference.”
“To be honest I'm not a defender who uses their arm so much. You have a lot of defenders who use their arms and push.”
“I'm not afraid to play one on one, I'm not afraid to defend high up the pitch, so that's something I learned in the school of Ajax.”
“It is important to know for yourself if you're mentally right; if you're ready, nobody can stop you. That is the thing that I started to realise and that is good also: to take a step back and see things that maybe you can improve. That is what I do.”
“Of course it's an extra responsibility being captain of a club like Ajax.”
“Cristiano Ronaldo is a great character, he talks a lot with his teammates, with the young players, and is always ready to help.”
“Chiellini, Bonucci, they were like defensive masters. They knew exactly what to do in certain moments, they knew how to defend in the box, how to defend outside the box. They're so smart, so clever.”
“Many of my idols from the past are also Italians.”
“We are talking about Manchester United here, maybe one of the biggest clubs in the world. There is a lot of pressure because the fans are used to things from the past. It's up to us to become as good as possible.”
“I slowly changed my mentality to understand what kind of player I am and what I can do for the team with my qualities. You couldn't ask me to dribble past opponents and score or to play the perfect pass every single time. I know that I can do it sometimes, but it's not my natural skill.”
“I think around the age of 16, I knew that I could make it. It wasn't easy, but I knew that I had the ability to become a player. You then have to take it step-by-step to the seniors and then you see that you can reach professional football.”
“Bayern are the most successful club in Germany, one of the most successful clubs in Europe and in the world.”
“Every day is a new day; a new chance to show yourself.”
“On a serious note, I've been used to playing in the Champions League for my whole career, more or less.”
“If you play for Juventus you must always try to win everything.”
“No, I didn't chose Juventus for Cristiano Ronaldo, this was not the reason why I came to Italy and Torino.”
“What can I tell you about Nous? He is an amazing guy, an amazing player.”