Matthijs de Ligt described the difficulties settling in at Juventus, accepting he was there to learn from Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci. "They know what it's all about."
The 20-year-old made the transfer from Ajax over the summer for €85m and was forced to step in earlier than expected after Giorgio Chiellini tore his anterior cruciate ligament in August.
“There are more eyes on you and people expect a great deal, all of which is new compared to my time at Ajax,” De Ligt told Dutch site Ziggo Sport.
Matthijs de Ligt described the difficulties settling in at Juventus, accepting he was there to learn from Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci. "They know what it's all about."
The 20-year-old made the transfer from Ajax over the summer for €85m and was forced to step in earlier than expected after Giorgio Chiellini tore his anterior cruciate ligament in August.
“There are more eyes on you and people expect a great deal, all of which is new compared to my time at Ajax,” De Ligt told Dutch site Ziggo Sport.
“I think that I’ve done well in every match since the start of November and I am happy that the club has faith in me. I was on the bench for a little while and talked it over with the coach. I then had that problem with my shoulder and then a groin strain, so I couldn’t train.
“The coach told me very clearly: ‘Calm down, we need you further along in the season and in your best shape, so there’s no rush.’
“I also had to learn the language, as at the start it was just me and Aaron Ramsey who couldn’t speak Italian. We both spoke English, so spent a lot of time together. Chiellini also speaks English and he helped me a great deal. It was tough at first, when we sat around the table and everyone spoke Italian, but I took lessons along with my girlfriend.”
Working with Chiellini and Bonucci was one of the main reasons De Ligt chose to join Juventus.
“Bonucci and Chiellini are just players, but they are players who won everything for nine years and know what it’s all about. I was told: ‘You are a great player, but above all learn from these lads. We need you this season.’ It’s important that I am there.
“You need far more balance at Juve compared to Ajax, to focus more on the defensive movements, which is what I’m doing now. The Champions League is more physical compared to Serie A, as against Lyon I was able to cover 70m and go get the ball. Perhaps that is more my style.
“I had offers last summer from Juventus, PSG and Barcelona, so I studied the various options and at the end of the day concluded I could grow faster at Juve. They have a particular style and I knew being here would make me a more complete player.”