Manchester United defender Leny Yoro has revealed the crucial role of Kobbie Mainoo in his fast adjustment to life at the club. Seamless adaptation Yoro has certainly looked the part since joining United in the summer of 2024 from Lille in a deal worth £52m. United warded off stiff competition from the likes of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool to land the highly-rated defensive prospect. While Yoro has understandably faced challenges adapting to the rigours of Premier League football, his underlying potential and ability have never been in doubt. He has admirably filled in for Lisandro Martinez over the past few weeks while the World Cup winner has been sidelined with a calf injury. Yoro was particularly impressive on Sunday as United cruised to a comfortable 3-1 victory over Aston Villa. The Frenchman properly marshalled Ollie Watkins and silenced him all game, helping United to all three points. Yoro has struck a formidable partnership with Harry Maguire, whom he has urged the club to keep as the Three Lions defender approaches free agency. Yoro spoke to club media and revealed how his teammates helped him to settle into a new country, particularly highlighting just how instrumental Mainoo was. Yoro reveals class act The 20-year-old also admitted that the attention he instantly received by virtue of being a United player caught him by surprise. “This is crazy,” Yoro remarked. “Like everywhere you go in the world, people will know you.” “When I was like 18, playing for Lille – Lille have good fans, but not all over the world. And when this [increase in attention] happened at the beginning, you’re a bit shocked, you know, because that’s crazy.” Yoro continued, “When I arrived, of course Kobbie, I spent a lot of time with him, even outside the training camp.” “I think it is important to have this [friendship]. We are the same age so, straight away, we had a good relation. I think it’s important for you, for the mood and stuff, but we have a lot of young players also, so we have a good group for this.” “He helped me a lot with this because I didn’t have a lot of addresses to go to. I asked him and he helped me with that.” “This is a prototype of someone, especially from here, to help you to settle.” Yoro also acknowledged the significant assistance he received from French-speaking teammates Amad and Hannibal Mejbri. Featured image Lewis Storey via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Derick Kinoti Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the Premier League extensively for years. His work blends sharp analysis, tactical insight, and engaging storytelling that resonates with fans around the world. Derick has gained valuable experience in football journalism, developing strong expertise in SEO writing, digital content creation, and social media engagement. A tech enthusiast with a Computer Science degree from the University of Nairobi, he ultimately swapped code for football commentary, bringing an analytical, detail-oriented approach to his writing. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!





