Manchester United midfielder Youri Tielemans has opened up about idolising Zinedine Zidane as a child. The Red Devils were planning to upgrade their midfield when they turned to the Belgian this summer.
INEOS initially signed Andrey Santos from Chelsea as a possible replacement for Casemiro, who left as a free agent at the end of last season. However, with Manuel Ugarte surplus to requirements and also picking up an injury at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, further reinforcements were in order.
United deviated from their recent youth-centric transfer policy to secure the services of Tielemans from Aston Villa. The Belgian sat down with the club’s media before going on holiday to discuss a wide array of topics relating to his lifestyle and childhood.
Tielemans idolised Zinedine Zidane
Tielemans spoke about his favourite films, TV shows and music before the conversation turned to the beautiful game. When asked to reveal his football inspiration growing up, he responded: “There were a lot. I always used to like watching midfielders.”
“Obviously, when you’re younger, you like skilful players as well. There were a lot of players I looked up to and tried to replicate, taking the best bits that suited my playing style. [Zinedine] Zidane was one of them. The 2006 World Cup is where I think he was at his peak, and he was so good to watch.”
The Belgian named basketball legend Michael Jordan as his favourite sports person outside of football, adding: “I’ve always been inspired by Michael Jordan. I used to play basketball when I was younger, and he was the main guy. His mentality was relentless, and I really enjoy him as a character, a player and a professional.”
Tielemans also revealed that basketball is his favourite game outside football, although he no longer follows matches “because the games are quite late, and I like my sleep.”
United will benefit from Tielemans’ Premier League experience
Tielemans has appeared 244 times in the Premier League in his career, registering 26 goals and 37 assists. The Belgian scored in Aston Villa’s 3-0 win over Freiburg in the Europa League final last season, and also captained his nation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 29 year old finished the 2025/26 campaign with two goals and seven assists in 35 games in all competitions.
Youri Tielemans Stats: 2025/26 Season
| Competition | Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 25 | 21 | – | 4 | – | – | 1,863′ |
| UEFA Europa League | 9 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | – | 642′ |
| FA Cup | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 81′ |
| EFL Cup | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 35 | 28 | 2 | 7 | 2 | – | 2,586′ |
Source: Transfermarkt.
The Belgian went on to discuss his nickname in football, adding: “I’ve always been Youri. When I was younger, and now at the World Cup, everyone calls me Capi because I was the captain. That’s the only one.”
Tielemans also revealed that he has no superstitions before a game, concluding: “I’m just in the zone, locked in and ready to go.”
Final Thoughts
Tielemans has already been tipped to be a hit at the Theatre of Dreams and could turn out to be a fine replacement for Casemiro. United fans will now be keen to catch a glimpse of their new signing in pre-season.
Featured image Stu Forster 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.
