Matthijs de Ligt has provided a glowing character reference for wantaway Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo amid ongoing speculation over his Old Trafford future.
De Ligt spent two seasons alongside Ronaldo at Juventus and, had things turned out differently, those two might have been reunited this summer. De Ligt was linked with United before completing a move to Bayern Munich while Ronaldo was briefly linked with the German champions — before they distanced themselves from a move.
For now, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner remains at United after returning to Carrington and featuring in the pre-season agme against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday afternoon. It was his first outing this summer after missing United's pre-season tour to Thailand and Australia due to a family issue.
