Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt has praised under-fire boss Ruben Amorim for speaking “the truth” during his particularly brazen press conferences.
Since his arrival in November, Amorim has gone on record to say that his United side is “the worst team in the history of Manchester United”, while also claiming he was “embarrassed” for how bad his side were.
He also claimed that, after the disappointment of the Europa League final loss, if the club were interested in sacking him he would walk away from the job without compensation.
Despite this, De Ligt, who has played for prestigious European clubs such as Ajax, Juventus and Bayern Munich, finds Amorim’s words endearing - particularly due to his nationality.
Matthijs de Ligt has played for a host of Europe's most prestigious clubs
PA
He said: "I'm from Holland so I like it. I can understand the media are in shock because normally this doesn't happen.
"But I think you can also be really happy that finally someone speaks out, says what he thinks and speaks the truth.
"I really appreciate him in our conversations personally. It gives me a feeling I can trust him and he can trust me."
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Matthijs de Ligt has praised his boss, Ruben Amorim
PA
De Ligt has featured for United just three times since March due to injury problems, meaning the 25-year-old missed the conclusion of the Premier League season and the Europa League final.
The Red Devils are currently on their post-season tour in Asia, however the Dutchman failed to return from injury in time.
The tour has been a disaster for Amorim. His side fell to an embarrassing 1-0 defeat to Asean All-Stars despite fielding a strong side, while stars Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho have been involved in controversies with supporters.
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The Portuguese boss admitted that he was “guilty” for his side’s loss on the tour, however, De Ligt feels that Amorim is making progress.
The Dutchman said: “I’ve experienced many managers and he's one of the most easy to talk to as a player.
"He's really into details. Before signing new players, first, he's looking at the culture, what needs to change and what can be improved to become a better football club. From next season we will see more of that.”
He continued: “I think he wants to build a team of players who are together, fighting for each other and making the most out of what they have.
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Manchester United lost 1-0 to Asean All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur
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"Maybe before, you had the best players, but you're not a team."
This season is de Ligt’s first campaign at Old Trafford, and it has been nothing short of dreadful.
Joining for over £40million in August, de Ligt made 42 appearances for the club in the year that United recorded their worst-ever Premier League campaign.
The Red Devils also failed to qualify for any European competition for only the second time since 1990.
The defender has, however, endured his injury problems and undoubtedly made United a better team when on the pitch.
De Ligt will be hoping that his return to full fitness over the summer can be a huge boost for the side, and they can once again push for European football.
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