“His progress is amazing” - Erik ten Hag hails Manchester United star as the future of the club
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has praised Willy Kambwala, calling him the club's future, after he impressed in their 2-2 draw against Liverpool.
Kambwala, 19, made his professional debut against West Ham United in December 2023. But, he was used sparingly as a substitute in his next six appearances.
However, due to injuries to Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, and Jonny Evans, Ten Hag turned to Kambwala to partner Harry Maguire against Liverpool on April 7.
The central defender from France had a solid showing against the Reds leading to Ten Hag saying (via Get Football News France):
"The decision to bring Willy in is because he has been training a long time with us, and in his first game against West Ham, he did very well, his progress is amazing. We were convinced he could do the job and he has done brilliantly. I am very pleased, very happy and it is another signal and a message for the future of Manchester United."
Kambwala had a stellar outing, winning three duels, two interceptions, two clearances, and completing 29 of his 36 passes, with an accuracy of 81 percent.
Manchester United come from behind to secure 2-2 draw against Liverpool
Manchester United rebounded from their 3-4 midweek defeat against Chelsea to hold Liverpool to a 2-2 draw in their Premier League clash at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The Red Devils were dominated in the first half, going behind via Luis Diaz's 23rd-minute goal, and were unable to have a single shot on goal. However, they started the second half strong, with Bruno Fernandes (50') and Kobbie Mainoo (67') scoring brilliant goals each. Despite wasting multiple big chances, Liverpool were able to claw back a point through Mohamed Salah's 84th-minute penalty.
Erik ten Hag and company didn't have the best of performances, having just 38 percent possession compared to Liverpool's 62 percent. They also had just nine shots in total, while the Reds had a total of 28.
Manchester United are sixth in the league standings with 49 points from 31 games, 11 points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. They next face Bournemouth away from home on Saturday, April 13.