Matthijs de Ligt issues Manchester United demand

Matthijs de Ligt has urged his Manchester United team-mates to continue giving the Old Trafford fans something to shout about.

United now entertain Brighton, just 72 hours after Amad’s dramatic eight-minute hat-trick late in the game secured a vital win over struggling Southampton. It was only manager Ruben Amorim’s second Premier League victory in five attempts on home soil - while the Reds’ away form has seen them win at Manchester City and Arsenal and draw at Liverpool.

Now De Ligt, the barrel-chested Dutch defender signed from Bayern Munich for £42million in the summer, feels United must start to turn their stadium into a fortress.

De Ligt said: “After what we have done at the Etihad, Anfield and the Emirates it is important to get some momentum at home. You saw in the last 10 minutes against Southampton how the fans stayed right behind us and gave us more energy - and this is what we need.

“We have a really young team who can either get a lot of energy from it - or maybe lose some confidence in the moments when the game is not going so well. We got there in the end (against Southampton) and that was a big relief.

“But you can’t question the belief of this team. We know that teams that come here will start to lack energy and stamina at a certain point - and so that’;s when you have to kill them. That’s what happened (against Southampton). We needed the energy from the crowd and we always kept believing that it was possible to win.”

De Ligt added: “I think the manager has learned that we still have a lot to improve on - especially in the build-up phase of play. But he will have also learned that even against the teams at the bottom we can still put up a fight, as well as against the teams at the top.

“We have the mentality - and that, for me, is the biggest improvement that we have right now. We are fighting for each other. You see we are fighting on the pitch for every metre. I think that is the base for becoming a great team, step by step.

“I think we have to improve in other aspects but the fact we are doing this makes it a very big win.”

Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images) Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

De Ligt was expected to become one of the world’s most accomplished defenders in the world when he broke from the youth ranks as a teenager to become the club’s youngest-ever senior captain.

He joined Juventus for £63million in 2019 before Bayern signed him for £65million three years later. More than 60,000 fans in Munich signed a petition trying to block his move to Manchester. But De Ligt has always looked like a natural for the Premier League with his front-footed approach to defending and excellent range of passing.

He said: “I feel really good at the moment, really confident and fit. That’s something that comes at some point. The more games I play, the more fit I will become.

“I just try to be my best and help the trainer and the team as much as possible. That way, when you get results, it’s really nice. I love the way English people see football and I love the way they see defending.

“Tough and aggressive, but still controlled because obviously you can’t be too erratic. I try to be as good as possible and I feel like every game I’m improving. Hopefully the team can improve too - a lot more.”

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