The vast majority of teenagers hesitate to pick up a microphone in front of an audience of more than 100,000 people, but everyone who packed Amsterdam's Museumplein knew that Matthias de Ligt was anything but an ordinary 19-year-old.
As Ajax players, staff and supporters celebrated their 34th Dutch Bundesliga title and another Dutch FA Cup success in May 2019, their precocious young captain inspired the crowd with a deep, sonorous voice that transcended his years, connecting his generation to Johan Cruyff's generation.
"More importantly, we showed everyone what Ajax is and what kind of city Amsterdam is," De Ligt said. 'We showed everybody where we stand, which is attacking football. We've shown everyone what the big guy above us wants to see, and what he expects from us. ”
It was a perfect speech, as if only to add to the young man's sense of omnipotence, and he even caught the beer can in the air so as not to hit the mayor of Amsterdam as it was thrown from the crowd.
Ask anyone at the elite level of European football at the time and they would agree that De Ligt was at the beginning of his career and that he would become one of the most important centre-backs of his generation. Especially his manager at the time, Erik ten Hag.
'I'm not sure if De Ligt has shown 60 to 80 per cent of his ability,' Ten Hag said later that year, 'but we're talking about one of Europe's top defensive players and I'm sure he'll be the leader in that position soon.' ”
Although he has made regular appearances at two of Europe's biggest clubs since then, winning Serie A and Bundesliga titles and moving for a total transfer fee of €162.5 million (£137 million), there is still a narrative of unrealised potential that may require a fresh start.
Ten Hag could help in that regard. Manchester United are prioritising the search for a new centre-back, and Ten Hag's admiration for De Ligt is no secret. But more meaningfully, that admiration is now also resonating with senior Old Trafford officials, who are seriously considering bringing in De Ligt.
While separate from pursuing another defensive target, Jarrad Brantwaite, a deal for De Ligt is considered more realistic. If a deal proves to be possible, United will sign a defender – still only 24 years old – whose potential has never been questioned.
De Ligt emerged from an early age in Ajax's renowned youth system, and thanks to his early physical development compared to his peers, the Amsterdam FC figure quickly labelled him as a fast-moving system.
"Our goal is to get Mattheis into the first team as quickly as possible, at the highest possible level at his youth," one source said. However, being a centre-back against much smaller boys is not particularly challenging.
What is the solution? Let him play in the midfield position. Although he was only 14 years old at the time, he was moved up the front and given more responsibility for possession as a way to improve his passing range. 'For a long time, he was the number 6; Just to make sure he can feel comfortable under 360-degree pressure," the source added.
A month after his 17th birthday, De Ligt made his debut and scored in a 5-0 win over Willem II, becoming the second-youngest goalscorer in Ajax's history. It was the first of several records or milestones he broke or surpassed, all of which signified him as a unique talent.
Before the end of the season, he became the youngest player ever to start in a European final, but could not prevent his side from losing 2-0 to Jose Mourinho's Manchester United in the Europa League final. The following year, he became the first defender to win the Golden Boy award.
By then, he was already the youngest captain in Ajax's 118-year history, thanks to Ten Hag.
In an interview last year, De Ligt described the United manager as the coach who had the biggest impact on his development. "Even at the age of 18, he saw me as someone who could lead a team, someone who could lead by example, someone who could be a good captain."
De Ligt's extraordinary result in the Champions League semi-finals under Ten Hag as Ajax strengthened his reputation as one of Europe's most outstanding young talents and all but assured that the 2018-19 season would be his final season in Amsterdam.
Able to select almost all the major European clubs that summer, De Ligt joined Juventus in a deal of up to €85 million (£72.4 million). According to Fabio Paratic, the Serie A club's chief football officer at the time, the most expensive junior defender of all time was also Juventus' best investment ever.
The idea is that De Ligt will have the opportunity to play alongside Giorgio Chiellini, learn from him and eventually succeed him, continuing Juventus' long tradition of defensive greatness for another generation. However, with Chiellini torn his anterior cruciate ligament at the start of De Ligt's first season, Juventus' succession plans had to be accelerated.
Partly because of Giellini's absence, partly because of that noble defensive tradition, but mainly because of the heightened expectations around Juventus during the Ronaldo era, De Ligt was watched in Turin more closely than he did at Ajax.
Mistakes are magnified, leading to a feeling that he has not fully realised his potential, but criticism often ignores the broader context.
Despite a series of managers from Maurizio Sarri to Andrea Pirlo and then Allegri having given him a variety of roles in different defensive systems, De Ligt rarely looks unworthy of being Chiellini's eventual successor.
In the end, however, things didn't go as expected. As he entered the final two years of his contract, negotiations over a renewal were at an impasse. The comments made first by the late Raiola, followed by De Ligt's statements during his national team assignment, all hinted at a possible parting of ways between the two sides. That summer, he moved to Bayern Munich in a deal of up to €77 million (£65 million).
De Ligt left Juventus with just one Serie A title, but in three years in Turin, he completed the Grand Slam of domestic honours, the last of which was arguably his best personal performance, when he played more time in the team than any other outfielder.
Bayern's recruitment strategy for the player was straightforward. "We don't want you to be just a defender," executives told De Ligt. "We want you to be the commander of the defensive line." Bayern have lost veteran dressing room leaders like David Alaba, Xavi Martinez and Jerome Boateng in recent years, so they have placed a special emphasis on De Ligt's leadership.
A former Bayern Munich development coach, Ten Hag had recommended De Ligt for the Bundesliga giants before he left Ajax three years ago. When De Ligt finally took the advice of his former mentor, Ten Hag called to congratulate him.
There was excitement in Bavaria at the time, however, it was also a challenging few years for De Ligt due to Bayern's challenges in recent years. There were mistakes - not too many, but enough for him not to win the absolute trust of the fans and fans.
Again, however, this is not easy to separate from the broader context of a team that lacks key elements and coach changes.
Julian Nagelsmann is an admirer of De Ligt and the two have a good working relationship, so much so that De Ligt texted the outgoing Bayern head coach last March to thank him for everything he has done to settle into life in Germany.
By contrast, De Ligt has not always been able to draw the same amount of support from Nagelsmann's successor, Thomas Tuchel. Despite his public expressions, Tuchel has more often preferred to use Upamecano and Kim Min-jae at the heart of the defence. When Eric Deere joined in January, De Ligt appeared to slip further down the rankings.
In February's crucial trip to Bayer Leverkusen, Tuchel switched to a back three, dropping De Ligt and leaving him on the bench as Bayern broke down and lost 3-0. De Ligt regained his place in Tuchel's final months in charge, but he still started only half of Bayern's games in all competitions last season.
This is partly due to his injury history, which will worry some United fans. At Ajax, De Ligt was almost always available under Ten Hag, but minor injuries have plagued him ever since. But before being marginalised by Tuchel last season, De Ligt still averaged around 27 league appearances a year.
Far from being a necessary starter at the level of international football, he is still in some ways trying to shake off the stigma of being used as a scapegoat when the Netherlands were eliminated by the Czech Republic at the last European Championships. This time, De Ligt was an unused substitute in all three group games. In Ronald Koeman's defensive system, there is a lot of competition to partner Virgil van Dijk as a centre-back.
If he hadn't stepped onto the pitch in his country this summer, he would have used that time wisely. De Ligt is an avid reader, and in an interview last year he revealed that he had read the autobiographies of some of the biggest defensive stars of the past.
"I've read the autobiographies of Mertesacker, Stam, Campbell, Terry...... I've read all the names," he said. "It helps me improve my game and learn from their experience. They sometimes say things that make you think you're not alone. ”
De Ligt may be able to reach their heights one day. His reputation as one of the top young centre-backs in European football has faded slightly in recent years, but it is not unfounded. Ten Hag has confidence in him and it looks like he is not alone in De Ligt at Old Trafford.