Ajax have released a ‘golden bye’ video thanking their Skipper upon Juventus move.
Juventus confirmed the signing of Matthijs De Ligt from Ajax for £67.5 million today. At the back of a successful campaign, winning the league and domestic cup competition, the Dutch International decided to leave the club.
The 19-year-old grew through the academy ranks of Ajax before joining Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus. In order to make a fitting goodbye, Ajax compiled a video of his gradual growth from the academy to leading them to two triumphs and Semifinals of the Champions League.
De Ligt’s inspirational interviews were included in the middle of the video to make it more catchy. It ended with the speech he gave in front of lacks of Ajax supporters during their open parade.
It was an impressive video to thank the young player who followed the ideologies of the club.
The former Ajax defender claimed that he loved with the defending in Italy and wants to follow the footsteps of some great Italian defenders.
He said: “I have played 10 years here in the youth academy, and 3 years in the first team,” he told Ajax TV, “But unfortunately I have to take a next step now.
“Why Juventus? Since a kid I have been fascinated by the way Italians defend. Many examples are Italians for me: (Paolo) Maldini, (Franco) Baresi, (Alessandro) Nesta, (Fabio) Cannavaro, (Gaetano) Scirea, and I can go on and on. I fell in love with the way they defend in Italy.
“It’s emotional for me to leave this club. I experienced sad moments and beautiful moments, it’s been a rollercoaster.
“But in life there always comes a goodbye. I will miss everyone here at this club. And who knows what the future will hold.”
The Dutch defender was an integral part of Ajax’s first team in the last two years by making 94 appearances. During his one-year spell as Ajax’s Skipper, De Ligt made an incredible impact by leading them to two trophies and Champions League semifinals.
For the extraordinary displays in the Champions League, he was coveted by the likes of Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester United, and Paris Saint Germain. The agreement took some time, but he joins the Old Lady, who retained the Serie A for the last eight years.
Matthijs De Ligt will have inspiration defenders around him, as the defence boasts Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. He can learn plenty from those two Italian defenders, who were part of the club over the last decade. On the other hand, Juventus will have a long-term option in their hands.
