New Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt has expressed his surprise on being left on the bench in the club’s Serie A opener against Parma on Saturday night.
The Dutch defender, secured in a £67.8million switch from Ajax this summer, was forced to watch on as Maurizio Sarri's men edged to a 1-0 victory.
Speaking to Dutch publication AD, de Ligt said: “Naturally, I would've preferred to play and I didn't get any clues from training, so I didn't expect to be on the bench.
“Obviously, I respect the decision of the Coach. I must be realistic, as I am still settling in here in Italy. The defenders who played, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, were considered for a long time to be the best centre-back partnership in the world.”
Proved his inclusion
Chiellini proved that his inclusion in the team was a no fluke as he scored the only goal in the tie but 20-year-old de Ligt, who captained Ajax to the Champions League semi-finals last season, admitted he has always been prepared to battle for a starting spot.
“have to earn my place throughout the season. The first five weeks have been tough on a physical level, but I do notice that I'm getting stronger.
“Defensively, the demands are not that different from what I was accustomed to at Ajax, as the Coach wants us to anticipate the movement.”
The Dutchman will hope that he can get the required game time when his side host title rivals Napoli in Turin in a league match on Saturday.
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