- Leny Yoro made switch to Man Utd in deal worth just over £50m
- French teenager made debut in pre-season friendly win over Rangers
- 18-year-old shone for Lille in debut year and attracted serious interest from Real Madrid
Having made his Manchester United debut in a friendly win over Rangers on Saturday, Leny Yoro has now conducted his first long-form interview as a Red Devils player.
The talented young defender put pen to paper on a long-term contract which runs until 2029 last week, opting to join the club despite interest from UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid.
In his first interview with MUTV, Yoro gave a comprehensive lowdown on the factors which led to him joining Man Utd, how he views his game and the friends he's made in Manchester already.
His English is very good
Tune in to 90min's YouTube channel as Scott Saunders gets the expert lowdown on Leny Yoro from French football journalist Quentin Gesp.
First off, Man Utd fans will be perhaps be pleasantly surprised at how well Yoro spoke in English throughout the near 20-minute sit-down interview.
There'll be no communication issues at the back next season.
Style of play
Yoro took the time to describe how he approaches the game, saying: "In football today, you need to read the game, you need to understand your opponents and I try to focus on that.
"I'm also really comfortable with the ball. I'm not afraid to play."
The numbers certainly back up what Yoro said. The young defender completed the second-most passes in Ligue 1 last season with a rather impressive 94% completion rate. Top stuff.
Rio Ferdinand's role in the transfer
Agent @RioFerdy5? 👀
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 20, 2024
🤝 @Leny_Yoro#MUFC pic.twitter.com/ddnbVlF6SB
There were a few key reasons why Yoro ended up at Man Utd instead of Real Madrid and the defender has confessed Rio Ferdinand's influence was certainly one of those.
"It was like two weeks ago [when I first spoke to Rio]," he explained. "He called me. First of all, I was really impressed to speak with him and, yeah, we spoke like 10 minutes about Man Utd, so he helped me a lot to make my choice. It was really an honour to speak with him.
"He spoke to me about the club, and that this is a historic club with a big story, and if I go there I need to fight for the club, to be ready, because this is the biggest club in the world. For me, it was really good to speak about this."
So Man Utd fans, feel free to thank Ferdinand for the Yoro deal next time you spot him at a game.
The FA Cup win convinced Leny Yoro to sign for Man Utd
Yoro also cited the shock FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in May as a deciding factor in his eventual move to the north of England.
He revealed: "When I saw the FA Cup win at the end of the season, for me, I really wanted to be with them because to win titles and celebrate with the fans - it's incredible."
The defender is certainly hungry for success at Man Utd.
Friendship with Kobbie Mainoo
Yoro has only been at Man Utd for a few days, but it seems he's already made a few mates.
One of those new mates is fellow wonderkid Kobbie Mainoo, whom Yoro revealed he is already "really close with", citing the relationship as key to his bedding-in period in Manchester.
Nani comparison
Perhaps the most random moment of the interview with MUTV was when Yoro revealed what player he was compared with while growing up in France.
"A lot of people compared me to Nani," revealed Yoro when discussing his formative years as an attacking player.
"It was because I was fast like him. I loved this player. For me, it was a target to be like him, but not it's not the same because I'm a defender," Yoro explained while laughing.
