How is Leny settling into life in Manchester?

When Manchester United clinched the coveted signature of Leny Yoro over the summer, it was seen as a serious coup for the club.

The teenaged defender had been touted as a transfer target for Real Madrid, the newly crowned European champions, who identified him as the premier talent in his position and age group.

It was thought that he’d be the perfect successor to the likes of David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger, providing Los Blancos with a defensive centrepiece for the next decade or more. But in United swept and there was rightly a huge deal of excitement and buzz around our new signing.

This only grew after seeing Yoro in a red shirt for the first time, in the 2-0 friendly win over Rangers in Edinburgh. It was a classy, regal performance that instilled calm in all who watched it – not too dissimilar to how Rio Ferdinand, a hero of the Frenchman’s, played during his pomp.

Yoro flew out on the US tour with the rest of the squad but it was in the first of the games over the pond that disaster struck, with Leny suffering a foot injury against Arsenal that required surgery. That postponed his competitive debut, meaning United fans are still yearning for a first glimpse of this precocious 18-year-old in meaningful action.

With Leny returning to group training this week his return is seemingly edging ever closer and, in an exclusive interview, the former Lille man makes it clear that he’s eager to make up for lost time.

Leny Yoro | Life in Manchester Video

Leny Yoro | Life in Manchester

CATCHING UP WITH LENY | Yoro on how he’s adapting to Manchester, with help from Kobbie Mainoo and Dougie the dog…

“Honestly, all the times I come to watch the games, I just want to be on the pitch,” he told us.

“I know it’s closer now, so I stay ready and I just want to be on the pitch with the guys and to fight for the club.

“The fans, they have been amazing. They always support me and they send me a lot of messages to support me through the injury.

“They look forward to seeing me so I hope I will give them a good way to play and I’m just looking forward to being with them in the stadium.”

Given the hype around his arrival – as is the case with most transfers these days – it’s easy to forget just how young Leny still is: he was only born on 13 November 2005.

For context, at that time Ruud van Nistelrooy was in the midst of his final season as a player at Old Trafford and Roy Keane was just days away from his much-discussed exit.

Leny’s rise since making his Ligue 1 breakthrough has been meteoric and it can be easy to forget that he’s just a young lad making the move to a foreign country for the first time.

That can’t be easy, even before you throw in the glare of the spotlight and the work required to recover from a major injury. It’s heartening to know then that he’s settling into his new surroundings well, with the help of his team-mates.

“I’m close to everyone,” he reveals. “With everyone I’ve got a good relationship but yeah I stay close to most of the time the young guys, like Kobbie [Mainoo] and Amad.

“I speak a lot with Onana, because he speaks French. Garnacho is a good guy, but everyone is good, you know?”

There’s an extra special bond with Mainoo, who has also been on the sidelines recently due to injury, with the pair evidently using their downtime to improve their video-game skills: “Yeah, I play NBA with Kobbie. I like basketball, yeah.

“I’m not a big fan of any team, I just like to watch the games and the show of America!”

Yoro’s parents and three younger brothers have stayed in Lille, but he has been joined in England by his girlfriend and cousin to help with the acclimatisation.

He admits the famed winter weather in Manchester isn’t actually too different from northern France, meaning he presumably isn’t put off the daily task of taking his new best friend for a walk.

“My dog?” he laughs, when we ask for more information about the cute pooch he recently shared pictures of on his Instagram.

“Yeah, his name is Dougie. I got him when I got here, in Manchester. I really like him, yeah.”

It’s been a long road back towards first-team contention for Yoro, but as Ruben Amorim starts his job as our new head coach, he’s hoping to be available soon.

Leny is hugely grateful for the trust and confidence that the United staff have given him throughout his rehabilitation, but there have also been some useful words from Ferdinand, who dropped in on a player who idolised him during a recent trip to Carrington.

“He just explained to me how big United is,” Yoro said. “He explained what to do on the pitch and what can be good for me – just some advice, you know?

“They are a big part of the history of the club so it’s always good to speak with guys like this, to learn more about the club and how to play on the pitch.”

Hopefully it won’t be much longer before Reds around the world can indulge in a bit of learning themselves, when Leny makes his much-anticipated comeback and reminds everyone why his arrival was so acclaimed.

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