Manchester United centre-back Matthijs de Ligt has responded in a sharp way after being axed.
Matthijs de Ligt has been an ever-present for Manchester United this season, a towering figure in Ruben Amorim’s defence.
At international level, De Ligt has not been shown quite the same appreciation.
The centre-back was dropped for the Netherlands squad for their October internationals, with Ronald Koeman blaming the wide variety of centre-back options at his disposal.
Koeman said he had given De Ligt some specific feedback on how he can improve, without divulging the exact details.
Matthijs de Ligt Netherlands latest
The Netherlands have named a new squad for the upcoming November internationals, and there is good news for Matthijs de Ligt.
De Ligt has been recalled by Ronald Koeman into the Dutch squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Poland and Lithuania.
The Netherlands are already certain of a top two place and only need a draw against Poland to clinch qualification as group winners.
De Ligt will be looking to add to his 51 international caps.
De Ligt call follows outstanding form
Matthijs de Ligt’s international recall is reward for the impressive performances he has been producing at club level.
His omission in October was totally unjustifiable, but may have actually served to benefit the defender by giving him a rest.
De Ligt has since played a key role in United’s five-match unbeaten run, and he was voted man of the match in the team’s 2-2 draw at Tottenham.
His recall shows Ronald Koeman has been paying attention to the Manchester United defender’s performances. We hope this is followed up with a proper opportunity.
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