“He was criticised a little but had to understand how to adapt to a different style of football.
“He’s still young and Matthijs is at a big club with far more pressure than he was accustomed to.
“The standard of opponent he is facing in Italy is also far higher than in the Netherlands.
“Juventus invested a large sum to sign him, some would say too much, but in my view he has done well so far.
“The experience has made him believe in himself more.”
United were considering a swap deal for De Ligt which would see Paul Pogba return to Juve.
The French midfielder only has a year remaining on his current deal and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be desperate to sort the situation out quickly.
Stam added: “He just needs to learn Italian so he can communicate with his teammates.”
The 47-year-old insists De Ligt should be learning as much as he can from Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, adding: “They are top level defenders, real winners accustomed to the biggest games.
“They are the best centre-backs in Italy and they can teach him so much on the art of defending.”
Man United ready to swap Paul Pogba for Juventus flop Matthijs de Ligt in win-win transfer for both clubs
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
