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Matthijs de Ligt heaped praise on Cristiano Ronaldo in his first interview as a Manchester United player on Thursday, August 15. The Dutch centre-back was signed from Bayern Munich, along with Noussair Mazraoui, in order to bolster the Red Devils' defense ahead of the upcoming Premier League season.
De Ligt is the second center-back signed by the Red Devils this summer after bringing in 18-year-old Leny Yoro from Lille. The Dutchman was signed for an initial transfer fee of €45 million with €5 million in add-ons, as per reports.
On the other hand, Mazraoui was brought to Old Trafford for a reported fee of £17.2 million. The players completed their medicals on Monday and had to be registered by August 15 for them to be eligible for Manchester United's first Premier League clash against Fulham at Old Trafford.
Speaking in his first-ever interview as a Manchester United player, Matthijs De Ligt said (via @TimelineCR7 on X):
"From everyone, you learn something. Cristiano [Ronaldo], obviously, has been here and made a big, big history here. He takes care of his body like a temple. The way he eats, the way he sleeps, it was such a big example for young players like me."
Cristiano Ronaldo is a United legend and has recorded 145 goals and 64 assists in 346 games for the Red Devils.
When Matthijs de Ligt chose Lionel Messi as the GOAT over Cristiano Ronaldo
In a 2019 interview with former Ajax teammate Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt chose Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo as the greatest player to have ever played football. According to the video uploaded by TY-10 on YouTube, neither player had any hesitation in picking Lionel Messi as their GOAT over the Al-Nassr striker.
According to De Ligt, no explanation was needed for his choice, while De Jong explicitly mentioned that Lionel Messi was much better than Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, the recently signed Manchester United player had a change of heart when he joined Juventus and started playing alongside the Portugal talisman. In a 2020 interview with Tuttosport, he said:
"Cristiano is the best of his generation and a big example for young players. I try to improve myself by looking at him in training, as he trains with so much intensity."
