Youri Tielemans: 10 things Man United fans never knew about their new star midfielder | OneFootball

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Manchester United have been in the process of completing a midfield rebuild this summer.

Youri Tielemans

They are closing in on Carlos Baleba and signed Andrey Santos last month. Another player they signed is long-term target Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa.

The midfielder has appeared in three pre-season matches since returning from the World Cup and is set to make a big impression this season for Michael Carrick’s side.

Here are 10 things you may not know about him.

1) Tielemans represents Belgium as he was born in the country, but he could have also played for the Democratic Republic of Congo through his mother’s place of birth.

2) The Belgian was academic as a child and finished his studies at 18 years old in spite of signing a professional deal and playing Champions League football.

3) In October 2013, Tielemans became the youngest Belgian to play in the Champions League when he made his debut against Olympiacos at the age of 16 years and 148 days.

4) The midfielder is a two-time winner of the Young Belgian of the Year Award in 2014 and 2015.

5) The 29-year-old star actually started life as a defensive midfielder, but it was the call of his then Anderlecht manager, Besnik Hasi, who decided to deploy him in a more offensive role.

6) Youri Tielemans actually played against his new boss, Michael Carrick, during the 2016/2017 season. He captained Anderlecht as they played Carrick’s United in the Europa League quarter-final.

7) Tielemans is on a unique list of players who have scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final, as Leicester beat Chelsea 1-0 in May 2021. Current coach Jonny Evans also started the final for the Foxes.

8) The United midfielder is only four caps away from breaking into the all-time top 10 appearance makers for his nation.

9) Tielemans grew up a United fan and has been linked to the club numerous times in the past when he was at Anderlecht and AS Monaco.

10) The Belgium international scored the winning goal against Senegal for his nation in the 124th minute when he scored a penalty during this summer’s World Cup. It was the latest goal recorded in a World Cup match.

Youri Tielemans Stats: 2025/26 Season