In an interview with Dutch broadcaster Ziggo Sport earlier on today, Juventus and Netherlands national team centre back Matthijs de Ligt has spoken on the close relationship that he has formed with Inter centre back and compatriot Stefan de Vrij.
He started the interview by revealing how his relationship with de Vrij, who is eight years his senior, began.
“I have always been on good terms with him. When I was 17, when I joined the senior national team he was sitting next to me on the bus and spoke to me.
“I have an excellent relationship with him. Milan and Turin are very close, now we see each other regularly and our relationship has become even stronger.”
Since exploding onto the scene a few seasons ago, the 20-year-old has kept de Vrij out of the Dutch national team which has seen suggestions made in the media that there is a rivalry between them but de Ligt, who joined Juventus this past Summer, insists that this is not the case.
“We are excellent friends and we like to be together in the national team. Stefan is a great player and in Serie A he is one of the best defenders. Virgil van Dijk is now the best defender in the world, then Stefan and I play for the other place but we don’t see it that way.”
de Ligt, who won the 2018 Golden Boy award, has made 26 appearances across all competitions to date this term. In little under 2200 minutes on the park, he has scored two goals and has helped Juventus keep eight clean sheets in the process.
