Shoot for the Stars: Seven Young Guns of Europe

Matthijs de Ligt

One of the most impressive young players of this generation is commanding centre-back Matthijs de Ligt. A proper defender with fantastic leaderships skills, the strong Dutchman has also proved a threat in the opposition penalty area from set pieces. Ajax made him their youngest ever captain at 18 and, by 19, he had played over 130 competitive matches, plus captained the Amsterdam club to a league and cup double. Already a regular in the Netherlands national team and set to sign with Italian champions Juventus, the sky’s the limit for Matthijs de Ligt.