The stat that underlines De Ligt's role this season
Matthijs de Ligt is the only Manchester United man to have played every minute in the Premier League this term.
Saturday's goalscoring hero at Tottenham Hotspur, who has been recalled to the Netherlands squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers, has been an ever-present in the division.
Although only coming on at half-time in the Carabao Cup tie at Grimsby Town, the defender has played throughout every one of our league fixtures, helping the Reds post a five-match unbeaten run heading into the final international break of 2025.
Eleven matches into the top-flight campaign, De Ligt has really proved his worth with a series of strong showings for Ruben Amorim's Reds.
His first goal of 2025/26, his third overall for the club since moving from Bayern Munich, was perfectly timed as it rescued a point from the trip to north London at the weekend.
Only three players have won more aerial duels in the division than the 26-year-old's 39 - James Tarkowski (Everton), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) and Sepp van den Berg (Brentford).
He is also getting about the pitch and stamping his influence on games, something Amorim alluded to wanting from his defenders in his post-match press conference.
"I think he's doing really well," said the boss. "He's really aggressive, he's defending well. I think he has more quality with the ball than he's showing because he's still at the point that he doesn't want to make mistakes with the ball and he's doing that really well because that is a smart thing for a player to do. But, when we reach a very good point, our three centre-backs will control the tempo and the quality of the game."
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is in second place on the list, after late substitutions in the wins over Chelsea and Liverpool, with Bryan Mbeumo third.
Delight for De Ligt!
PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS | Matthijs de Ligt sparked scenes in the away end at Spurs, with his towering header at the death…
2025/26 PREMIER LEAGUE MINUTES PLAYED
1. Matthijs de Ligt - 990
2. Bruno Fernandes - 980
3. Bryan Mbeumo - 955
4. Luke Shaw - 933
5. Amad - 754
“I had a proper pre-season. I feel for me and my body, pre-season is always really important and it was one of the first pre-seasons in five or six years when I didn't have a transfer, an injury or a Euros.”
'CONFIDENT IN HIS ACTIONS'
Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman discussed De Ligt’s return to the international set-up on Monday evening, telling reporters his top form was impossible to ignore.
“You decide separately for each player in the squad. I felt I should select Matthijs based on what he's showing. He's been through a difficult period. I've spoken to him and told him he didn't look confident in his actions, but now that's much better. And his position at the club and the club's performance will always be important.”