Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt has opened up about Ruben Amorim in a recent interview following a miserable season which saw them finish 15th in the Premier League.
United lost a staggering 18 league games, although they fared better in Europe, reaching the Europa League final before falling 1-0 to Tottenham.
The club’s underwhelming form has led to growing criticism of the manager, who has not had it easy since taking over from Erik ten Hag in November.
Amorim’s relationships with certain players have also drawn attention, with the former Sporting Lisbon coach not afraid to make bold decisions.
The most recent example is Amorim telling Garnacho to find a new club in front of his teammates after the player’s comments after Man United’s Europa League defeat.
Photo by Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images
Photo by Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images
But it is not all negative, there are players who have welcomed Amorim’s straightforward approach, most notably Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt.
Matthijs De Ligt on his relationship with Ruben Amorim
De Ligt has praised his relationship with the 40-year-old boss, calling it one of the most open and approachable he’s experienced in his career.
Having played under several top managers, De Ligt finds Amorim particularly easy to connect with. He values the honesty the manager brings in his interaction with the squad.
De Ligt said in an interview (via Manchester Evening News): “I’ve got a really good relationship with him, to be fair. He’s really open also with me, so it’s really nice to speak with him.
“Obviously, I’ve experienced many managers. He’s one of the managers who is the most easy to talk to as a player. In the same way, you can also see what he’s doing, what he wants to do with the team.
“I think he wants to build a team of players who are together, especially, fighting for each other and making the most out of what they have.
“Maybe like before, you were united with the best players, but you’re not a team. I think that’s something that’s really positive.
“Hopefully, next season, from the pre-season, we can work really strong on that because we have a lot of time.”
Matthijs De Ligt on Ruben Amorim’s brutally honest criticism of Manchester United
Amorim has been very honest in his assessment of Man United so far, calling the club out for the poor state it is in.
Danny Murphy has even criticised Amorim for being too negative about the club in public.
However, De Ligt finds Amorim’s transparency refreshing. He values the manager’s straightforward approach, seeing it as a rare quality that builds genuine trust, both publicly and behind the scenes.
When asked about Amorim’s honest assessment of Man United, he said: “I’m from Holland so I like it! I can understand that for the media, they’re in shock because they’re like, normally this doesn’t happen.
“But I think you can also, as a media, be really happy that finally someone speaks out and speaks out what he thinks and speaks the truth instead of going around and stuff like that.
“I really appreciate him in our conversations personally, how we speak. That gives me a feeling that I can trust him and he can trust me.”