Amid an injury crisis within the Manchester United defence, Erik ten Hag has called upon academy youngster Willy Kambwala to make his Premier League debut against West Ham on Saturday.
Who Is Willy Kambwala?
Willy Kambwala is a 19-year-old central defender who plays for Manchester United, and although born in Kinshasa of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he represents France internationally.
Standing at 6ft 4in, the youngster moved to France at the age of five, and was raised in the Les Ulis commune in Essonne – starting his youth career with local clubs Elan Chevilly Larue and Les Ulis before joining the academy of professional side Sochaux in 2018.
After impressing for Sochaux’s academy, Kambwala was called up to France’s Under-16 side, whom he captained. His recognition at international level saw him linked with moves to Premier League sides Liverpool and Manchester United, and after opting for the latter – he joined the Red Devils in October 2020 for a reported £3.5m, signing on deadline day.
A new Red is born, welcome Kambwala 👋 pic.twitter.com/xm0Dn7Ondv
— centredevils. (@centredevils) December 23, 2023
Disaster struck just a few weeks after his arrival in the United Kingdom though, as he suffered a serious injury for which he was out of action for 11 months. He returned for the Under-18 side in September 2021 in an 8-2 win over Birmingham City, signing a professional contract the following month.
The young Frenchman has consistently featured for United’s youth sides since, making nine appearances for the Under-21 side this season, as well as captaining the Under-19 side against Galatasaray and Bayern Munich in the UEFA Youth League.
Kambwala was called into the first team squad for the first time for United’s 0-0 Premier League draw against Liverpool on the 17th of December, being named as an unused substitute, but made his debut just a week later – starting alongside Jonny Evans at the London Stadium against West Ham.
Manager Erik ten Hag explained his decision to hand the defender his first start prior to kick-off: “He’s calm, he’s made a good impression in training.
“Of course he’s inexperienced and this is a big moment for him. He’s athletic, calm on the ball, he has his opportunity now.”
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