Matthijs de Ligt has told Manchester United fans what he has spotted from playing Ruben Amorim’s tactical system at Old Trafford and his experience adapting to it.
The 25-year-old Manchester United defender has completed his first full season at Old Trafford after his move from German club Bayern Munich last summer.
United completed a move for both De Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui in 2024, with the Red Devils agreeing a deal worth nearly £60m for the pair from Bayern Munich.
De Ligt played under Erik ten Hag at Ajax and the former Juventus and Bayern defender was reunited with his fellow Dutchman at Old Trafford last season.
However, Erik ten Hag was sacked as United manager in the 2024-25 campaign and Ruben Amorim replaced the ex-Ajax boss last November after he left Sporting CP.
De Ligt retained his place in the United first-team squad under Red Devils boss Amorim and the Dutch centre-back did impress in his debut season at Old Trafford.
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Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
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Matthijs de Ligt’s feelings on Ruben Amorim and the Man Utd manager adopting a three-man backline for his tactical system
Ruben Amorim rolled out his tactical system for Manchester United from the moment that he arrived at the Premier League club, following Erik ten Hag’s Old Trafford exit.
The 40-year-old United manager oversaw mixed results in the 2024-25 season, with the Red Devils disappointing in their woeful Premier League campaign.
However, the Red Devils did perform better in Europe and United reached the 2025 Europa League final before losing 1-0 to Tottenham in the final in Bilbao in May.
Speaking to Manchester United’s official website, Matthijs de Ligt admitted that seeing Amorim stick with his system for every match was a first in his career.
“So, yeah, it’s really interesting for me to get this for the first time in my career: a coach who plays this system all the time,” he said.
“I think you more you play in it, the more you get used to it. I can also say that, in this system, I have grown a lot as a player, so I am really happy for that.
“I think I can adapt quick to systems, from what way I have to play, so it was quite okay.
“Obviously, with the team, in the beginning, it was a little bit different, because we still had to get used to the system, the way we play.
“So, personally, I felt quite comfortable, soon after we implemented the system, but, as a team, obviously we had to grow to get into the system and to become better as a team.”
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Matthijs de Ligt reveals his experience of playing in Ruben Amorim’s tactical system for Man Utd
De Ligt had been a regular starter in the three-man backline for Amorim’s system for the Red Devils, despite injuries curtailing his first season at United.
The Netherlands international admitted that he was not familiar with the system, but it was not something he would play in week in, week out during his playing career.
“I’ve played this system before, it’s just not that I’ve played it every week,” De Ligt continued.
“Sometimes, certain games we played with five in the back. With the national team [the Netherlands], for example, we played a tournament with five in the back.
“That’s what I like. I’ve grown up with four in the back so, for me, it was quite different to play every week like this.
“But, right now, I can say that I’m used to it and there are pros and cons in every system. It’s the same with this.
“But, until now, I like the way I play and the way I feel in the system, so that’s good.”
De Ligt made 42 appearances across all competitions for United in the 2024-25 campaign and the former Ajax star scored twice for the Premier League club.