Juventus defender De Ligt will be among world best - Stam

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Juventus defender De Ligt will be among world best - Stam

Jaap Stam admits he's a big fan of Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt.

The former AC Milan and Lazio defender has long followed De Ligt since his days with Ajax.

He told TMW: "I like him a lot. When I was working in Ajax's U23, he was playing in the U19 and he came to my team to train and I have always said since he was 16 that he was already stronger than the boys on the first team. And he improved a lot.

"He did well in the Netherlands but we wondered if he had managed to break through at Juve and he did very well. Even in a bigger club and in a more difficult situation. He is doing well, perhaps the coach doesn't always choose him but he is young and growing and will become one of the strongest defenders in the world."