Despite the absence of Virgil van Dijk, the Dutch national team can still rely on Matthijs de Ligt to lead their defense, as they try to mount a serious challenge for the European crown.
The young Juventus player is surely one of the best young center backs in the world, and has the ability to become the very best in his role.
However, the former Ajax captain received some criticism from a former Netherlands player and a true icon of the sport.
The Bianconeri star missed the Oranje’s opening fixture in Euro 2020 against Ukraine with an injury, but returned for his side’s victory against Austria.
However, Marco Van Basten felt that de Ligt should act more like a leader in defense and make himself heard, rather than rushing towards his marker and leaving spaces behind him.
For his part, the 21-year-old showed his maturity by humbly accepting the criticism of the former Milan star during an interview with De Telegraaf via Juvenews.eu.
“If someone of the caliber of Mr. Marco Van Basten criticizes you, then you just have to listen to him, just hear what he says about you. He too has played in a difficult league like Serie A in the past, so I understand what he meant when he spoke about me.
“But sometimes on the pitch certain decisions have to be made quickly, in a second. I always work hard to improve, during every training session and every game, and I will always do so. I won’t play a perfect game in the immediate future, but I’m working hard to get there one day.” said the defender.
