De Ligt is a physically strong central defender. During his time at Ajax's academy, he played both in defence and midfield, but most of the players he admired were forwards. After spells at Juventus and Bayern Munich, the 26-year-old defender has now joined Manchester United, having played for four major European clubs throughout his career. He has also played alongside many great forwards. In an interview for MUTV's "Idols" show, De Ligt revealed that Ronaldo was his first idol, and that Eriksen and Kane are also role models for him.

Ronaldo

De Ligt's admiration for Portugal's all-time leading goalscorer Ronaldo began in his youth, when he saw Ronaldo, wearing a Manchester United shirt, win the Premier League and Champions League double in 2007/08 with the club.

"I was about seven or eight years old when Manchester United won the Champions League," said the central defender. "At that time, Ronaldo was undoubtedly one of the best players in world football.

Everyone tried to copy his style of play.

So he was one of my first idols."

The two eventually played together on the same team, fulfilling a dream not at Manchester United, but at Italian giants Juventus.

Their first match together was Juventus's 3-2 victory over Napoli in August 2019, after which they played 67 matches together. De Ligt even provided an assist to his idol in a Serie A match against Bologna, helping Ronaldo score.

Eriksen

Former Manchester United midfielder Eriksen, like De Ligt, came through the renowned Ajax academy, and their careers have followed similar trajectories.

The age gap meant they didn't play together in Ajax's first team: Eriksen left the club three years before De Ligt made his first-team debut. But De Ligt has always regarded the Danish midfielder as a mentor in his career.

"I also played midfield during my academy years, and Eriksen played in the position I occupied," said De Ligt, who wears the number 4 shirt. "So at that time, he was a role model I greatly admired.

When he made his debut, everyone called him a rare talent for the team for many years, so naturally I studied his style of play.

You see yourself in him, and it's really moving to see him reach the heights he has reached."

De Ligt's career has also come full circle, with the two eventually reuniting at Manchester United, playing a total of 23 matches together during the 2024/25 season.

"I never thought I would actually play with him," De Ligt continued. "The same goes for Ronaldo. Eriksen was one of my most important idols when I was young."

Kane

It is difficult to immediately connect England's captain Kane with De Ligt, whether in terms of career trajectories or styles of play.

But the two spent one season together at Bayern Munich, which was Kane's first season in the Bundesliga. Just one year together left an indelible impression on the Dutch defender.

Speaking about the Three Lions captain Kane, De Ligt said: "He left a very deep impression on me.

His attitude in training, his individual abilities, and his consistent and reliable goal-scoring efficiency are all impeccable.

Harry has a clear idea with every shot; he knows what he wants to do and precisely controls the shooting angle, whether with his left foot, right foot, or head—everything is masterful. And let's not forget his top-class creative and supporting abilities, which are also incredible.

He's an almost perfect striker. Before him, I had never seen such a complete forward."

Traduit par IA.

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