In the spring of 2018, in front of the statues of Sir Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and George Best, Willy Kambwala Ndengushi had made a promise: “I swear to the three Manchester United legends that I will come back here”. At the time, he was only 14 years old and found himself in the North of England not for a test but at the invitation of Anthony Martial, who invited the Ulis U15s for a Premier League match. and a tour of Old Trafford. “On the way back, my teammates asked me if I remembered my promise, I replied: Yes. “
At 16, after only a year of training with Sochaux, where he sailed between the U17s and the reserve, the young defender kept his commitment and followed the examples of two footballers from his neighborhood: Anthony Martial and Patrice Evra, him – even close to the Kambwala Ndengushi family. In the last hours of the transfer window, the teenager therefore committed for three years with Manchester United. On October 5, he expressed his joy in a tweet: “I am very happy to join the biggest club in the world. I can’t wait to get started. “
He will, of course, not be in the group selected for the trip to Paris on Tuesday in the Champions League. He should start with the U18s first to adapt before joining the U23s. Two other Ile-de-France residents, Aliou Traoré (loaned by MU to Caen this season) and Hannibal Mejbri, had married such a trajectory before him after their signing with the Mancunians in 2017 and 2019.
A fate for Patrice Evra?
Manchester’s interest materialized in March and a first offer of one million euros arrived in July on the table of Sochaux leaders who said they were not sellers. Between the beginning of the summer and the end of the transfer window, they will, however, soften their position “Willy really wanted to join Manchester United”, explains a close relative of the club. After very long negotiations, the Doubiens shareholders ended up giving the order to sell, for less than 3 million euros plus bonuses which bring the overall bill to 4.
On the side of Sochaux, the native of Kinshasa capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who arrived in France at 5 years old, is described as a boy who listens, anxious to improve and very appreciated at the training center. The English observers speak of a “strong player in the duel, with a good aerial game, who turns around rather well and quite quickly in his races.” And to add: “He still lacks technique for the high level and must improve his recovery and his long game, but he is in a club which gives more and more a chance to young people and his style of play corresponds to the Premier League. “
In Les Ulis, its home district, its former trainers highlight an atypical personality. “He is a well educated, polite, helpful, serious and competitive boy on the field, smiling outside,” describes Tshimen Buhanga, head of the U12-U13 category of the Ulis sports club and who also trained Anthony Martial . Of all the boys I have coached, Willy is the one who made the best impression on me from a character standpoint. On complicated matches, he was able to speak in front of other players and re-motivate them. He’s a trustworthy boy. I call him captain, even when I have him on the phone. “If he perfectly follows in Patrice Evra’s footsteps, he will have to say” Captain “.
Article original de: www.leparisien.fr
