Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt has praised Ruben Amorim's blunt approach and feels it will benefit the club in the long run.

While Amorim has found winning matches difficult since he arrived from Sporting in November, he has delivered some of the most withering statements about United during his short time in charge.

After the 3-1 home defeat by Brighton in January he claimed his side were "probably the worst in Manchester United history".

In the aftermath of the Europa League final defeat by Tottenham, he said he would walk away without talking about compensation should either the club's hierarchy or the fans feel it was the best way forward.

On the recent post-season tour of Asia, Amorim accused his players of being "chokers" after their shock defeat by a South-East Asia select XI.

De Ligt, who skippered Ajax to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, feels that, because of his nationality and the Dutch reputation for blunt speaking, Amorim's words are positive.

"I'm from Holland so I like it," he said.

"I can understand the media are in shock because normally this doesn't happen.

"But I think you can also be really happy that finally someone speaks out, says what he thinks and speaks the truth.

"I really appreciate him in our conversations personally. It gives me a feeling I can trust him and he can trust me."

United are reeling after their worst season domestically since the 1973-74 campaign.

There was no backdoor entry to the Champions League thanks to the Tottenham reverse, meaning United miss out on European football and the finances that come with it next season for only the second time since English clubs returned to Uefa competition in 1990.

After delivering just seven Premier League victories after arriving at the club in November, Amorim will start the new campaign under intense pressure.

However, De Ligt feels the work Amorim is doing around the first-team group will pay dividends.

"I've experienced many managers and he's one of the most easy to talk to as a player," he said.

"He's really into details. Before signing new players, first he's looking at the culture, what needs to change and what can be improved to become a better football club. From next season we will see more of that.

"I think he wants to build a team of players who are together, fighting for each other and making the most out of what they have.

"Maybe before, you had the best players, but you're not a team."