“He was really complete”: United speedster names ex-Chelsea star among his three idols

Manchester United forward Bryan Mbeumo has spoken at length about his footballing idols. The Cameroonian has been a revelation since arriving at Old Trafford last summer from Brentford. Mbeumo was a wanted man following a spectacular 2024/25 campaign with the Bees, where he scored 20 goals and set up eight more in 38 Premier League games. The Red Devils had found the back of the net just 44 times in the league last season and were looking for solutions to their goalscoring woes over the summer. Mbeumo was identified as an option, and the English giants saw off stiff competition to win the race for his signature. That decision has already paid dividends, with the Cameroonian now one of the first names on the team sheet. United’s joint top scorer this season Mbeumo started the season well, with his first goal coming in the disappointing EFL Cup second-round defeat to Grimsby Town in August. The Cameroonian scored his first Premier League goal for United in the following game, a 3-2 win over Fulham. Mbeumo started every Premier League game under former head coach Ruben Amorim before his departure for AFCON in December. By the time he returned, the Portuguese had been replaced by caretaker manager Michael Carrick. The Cameroonian, though, continued his golden run, scoring three goals and providing two assists in the first six games under the English manager. Bryan Mbeumo Stats: 2025/26 Season CompetitionAppearancesStartsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsSecond Yellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Premier League2626934–2,200′ EFL Cup101—-45′ Total (25/26)27261034–2,245′ Source: Transfermarkt. Unfortunately, Mbeumo has failed to register a goal or an assist in the last four games, although he has been crucial to the club’s rise to third place in the Premier League table after 31 games. Nevertheless, the Cameroonian remains United’s top scorer alongside Benjamin Sesko this season and is also one of their most important players. The former Brentford man has now shed light on the football icons who influenced his career. Mbeumo’s football idols Speaking to former United forward Danny Webber in the new Influencers series, Mbeumo named Zinedine Zidane and Samuel Eto’o as the players he looked up to while growing up. He said: “For us [growing up in France], obviously Zidane [was a player I liked].” “Zidane and Eto’o [were the players I admired] when I grew up watching my first-ever football games, [at the] World Cup, AFCON, Euros. He [Eto’o] was a very, very good player, good dribbler, good finisher. He had it all for the position. Dribbling, shooting, even passing. He was really complete.” Mbeumo was born in Avallon, France, in 1999, so his admiration for Zidane, who was Les Bleus’ most famous star during that period, is understandable. Meanwhile, Eto’o is arguably one of Cameroon’s greatest footballing exports, and certainly worthy of the United star’s admiration. Mbeumo went on to reveal that during his formative years with Troyes, he idolised Eden Hazard, who first caught the eye in Ligue 1 with Lille. The Cameroonian reserved special praise for the Chelsea icon, adding: “Obviously Hazard [was someone I looked up to].” “I was really watching his highlights, every single time I could. He’s so good. He could run past people so easily, great finishing, great passing. Obviously, the way he could turn himself or drive [past] people was insane.” Final Thoughts Mbeumo’s mini goalscoring drought is one of the issues Carrick will have to address during this international break, with the team back in action on 13 April against bitter rivals Leeds United. The Cameroonian could be vital in the Red Devils’ final run of games this season, with securing Champions League football now a real possibility. Featured image Warren Little 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 Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.