“A big influence”: Tielemans pinpoints surprise name who attracted him to join United

Manchester United have completed a deal for Youri Tielemans this week. Historical interest United have been linked to the Belgian star for years and first encountered him when they played his Anderlecht side in the 2017 Europa League quarter-final. Tielemans then moved to AS Monaco before joining Leicester City on loan in 2018. The midfielder was again linked to United, but he eventually joined the Foxes on a permanent deal. After making 195 appearances, he joined Aston Villa in 2023 and played 134 matches for the club over three seasons. Jonny Evans influence New signings Andrey Santos and Tielemans have both discussed the appeal of playing under such a successful midfielder as Michael Carrick. Nonetheless, there is another former player on United’s coaching staff who has had a significant influence on Tielemans. Jonny Evans, who joined United’s coaching staff alongside Carrick in January of this year, played for Leicester City between 2018 and 2023, meaning he was teammates with Tielemans for four years. Speaking to the club’s official website, Tielemans revealed his thoughts on the former Northern Irish player. The midfielder explained, “Jonny has been a big influence. I think he spoke with the manager about my character and my personality.” What’s more, he added, “he’s been a big influence and I’ve always kept in touch with Jonny. He’s such a great guy.” Tielemans will now take a well-earned holiday after captaining his nation at the World Cup. He will then return to United’s pre-season ahead of the new Premier League season, which kicks off on the 22nd of August for the Red Devils. Their first assignment is an away trip to newly promoted Hull City, where Tielemans will be hoping to make his competitive debut for the club. Youri Tielemans Stats: 2025/26 Season CompetitionAppearancesStartsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Premier League2521-4–1,863′ UEFA Europa League97232-642′ FA Cup10—-81′ EFL Cup——- Total3528272-2,586′ Featured image Alex Grimm 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 Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.