Netherlands centre-back Matthijs de Ligt said he has spoken to a psychologist after being benched for his country’s opening Euro 2024 matches. The Dutch beat Poland and shared a goalless draw with France as Inter Milan’s Stefan de Vrij paired captain Virgil van Dijk at the heart of defence. Bayern Munich player De Ligt had hoped to start and said ahead of Netherlands clash with Austria on Tuesday he had spoken to a psychologist and his family.
“These kinds of moments can be tough, by talking about it you make things lighter and you can put the energy back on the pitch instead of wasting it on those kinds of thoughts,” De Ligt told Dutch media. “I always train to improve myself, that is not necessarily different now -- what is a little different is the feeling after a victory. “Of course you are also happy as a substitute, but a little less than if you had participated yourself.
” Liverpool defender Van Dijk admitted he needed to improve after the team’s 2-1 comeback win in the opener against Poland, and the defence held firm in a solid second outing against tournament favourites Les Bleus. De Ligt, 24, started for the Netherlands in its opening game of the 2022 World Cup but was dropped by then-coach Louis van Gaal as the Dutch reached the quarterfinals. “I had the feeling that I was in good shape, and I showed that at Bayern in the second half of the season.
.. I would have liked to continue in that line here, in that sense it is a ‘false start’ to the to.
