Matthijs de Ligt names the three unlikely figures who’ve shaped his career | OneFootball

Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt has named the three surprise players who have had the biggest impact on his career.

De Ligt has enjoyed a steady spell at United since joining the club from Bayern Munich in 2024. A dependable presence, he has earned the trust of the managers he has played under, although he has yet to feature under new head coach Michael Carrick.

This is because he has been sidelined since November with a back injury, although a recent report covered by The Peoples Person relayed that his recovery is going well. The Dutchman is said to be eyeing a sensational return to action in the early stages of the 2026/27 season.

He spoke to club media and named Cristiano Ronaldo, Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane as the three players whom he looked up to. This revelation is somewhat unexpected. After all, for a player in his defensive position, one would naturally assume his primary influences to be fellow back-line specialists, rather than attacking talents of the calibre of that particular trio.

Cristiano Ronaldo

De Ligt said of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, “I think I was around seven or eight when United won the Champions League. And he was just, at that time, obviously he was one of the biggest players in the world.”

“He had this style that everybody wanted to copy. So yeah, probably he would be one of my first idols.”

Ronaldo and De Ligt played together at Juventus, sharing the pitch 67 times.

Christian Eriksen

Like De Ligt, Eriksen stands as one of Ajax’s great success stories. Though their paths never crossed in Amsterdam, fate would eventually bring them together at Old Trafford.

“I was a midfielder also in the youth, and he was playing exactly in my position. So he was really, at that time, an example of one of the players that I really looked up to.”

“When he came through, there were already people speaking like he was one of the biggest talents they had in years, so then you naturally [start] paying attention to how he does. So yeah, you kind of identify yourself with the player, and it’s just nice to see how far he has made it.”

De Ligt added, “It’s funny that I also actually played with him. Also with Cristiano, of course. But yeah, he was one of my biggest idols when I was younger.”

Harry Kane

Then there was Kane, a familiar face to De Ligt from their shared season at Bayern Munich. Though their time together lasted just a single campaign, it proved more than enough to shape the defender’s outlook in lasting ways.

“He made a big impression on me. The way he worked, how good he was, how consistent he was in scoring goals. With Harry, it’s just like, every shot, there’s an idea behind it.”

“He knows exactly what he’s doing. He knows exactly where to shoot the ball: right, left, head – and [I’m] not even talking about his playmaking because that’s also incredible.”

De Ligt branded the England captain “a complete striker.”

Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images

online polls

The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social