"He has a great future" - Raphael Varane hints Manchester United have a perfect replacement for him at the club
Manchester United defender Raphael Varane has tipped club teammate Willy Kambwala to have a bright future. The French defender, who is regarded as one of the best defenders of the modern era, has backed fellow Frenchman Kambwala to make his mark in the first team.
During Erik ten Hag's time at the club, Manchester United have seen several young players from the academy ranks getting their opportunities at the senior level. Kobbie Mainoo has become somewhat of a regular this season while Alejandro Garnacho is already a star player for the Red Devils.
Kambwala seems to be the next in line to become a prominent member of the senior squad. The young Frenchman has been rewarded with FA Cup and Premier League minutes this season.
The 19-year-old has often been on the bench for the Red Devils and has made four appearances so far. He was given his first start in the Premier League away at West Ham United in December and caught the eye even though Manchester United lost 2-0.
Varane has waxed lyrical about his young compatriot while tipping him for a big future. The World Cup-winning France international said, as quoted by Express Sport:
“He is showing his qualities. I think he will play more matches in the future and continue to improve. He is very young, but he is showing his qualities and we trust him. He has a great future.”
Kambwala joined the Red Devils as a 16-year-old in 2020 from Sochaux and has been impressive in their youth ranks. He has so far made four appearances this season and looks like a solid ball-playing defender in the making.
Rio Ferdinand snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo while naming best finisher he had seen at Manchester United
Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand once snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo when asked to name the best finisher he played alongside at the club. The former England international picked former Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy as the most lethal finisher he lined up alongside at Old Trafford.
Ferdinand also named Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as an exceptional finisher but insisted Van Nistelrooy was the deadliest one. He said (as quoted by Sport Bible):
“Ruud for me. I think all the other strikers [he’s played with] would agree with that, as well. Ole is up there, he was a thinking finisher. His finishes were always calm and he was great at instinctive things but I have to go with Ruud. He was clinical and the most ruthless finisher I’ve played with.”
Ruud van Nistelrooy spent five seasons at Manchester United and scored 150 goals in 219 games. He won the Premier League Golden Boot once and went on to join Real Madrid in 2006.