De Ligt and Ronaldo share similar mentality – Van der Sar
October 12, 2019 06:31 MYT
Edwin van der Sar has compared Matthijs de Ligt to Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming they share a similar mentality to be among the world's best.
De Ligt starred in the youthful Ajax side that reached the Champions League semi-finals last season before joining Ronaldo at Serie A giants Juventus.
Van der Sar played a pivotal part in developing Erik ten Hag's team in his role as Ajax CEO, with prospects such as Frenkie de Jong and Donny van de Beek graduating through the club's famous youth system.
"He had been at Ajax all his life," Van der Sar told ESPN. "So to step away, move with your girlfriend and the family to a different city in Italy, he must learn a new language and get to know his team-mates.
"His mentality, that of someone who always tries to improve, makes him want to be the best defender in the world. And I've seen that with a few players, one of them is playing for his team, Cristiano Ronaldo.
"He has the same desire and hunger as De Ligt. Matthijs is only [20 years old]. He was fantastic for us at Ajax, our rock and our captain."
First time at home, great support from fans and 3 important points Grazie tifosi @juventusfc #ForzaJuve #FinoAllaFine pic.twitter.com/3ZIyNcaLof
— Matthijs de Ligt (@mdeligt_04) September 1, 2019
Despite De Ligt's error, Netherlands went on to beat Northern Ireland 3-1 to move top of Group C.
Their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign continues on Sunday as the Nations League runners-up travel to Belarus.