I owe Villa the world but Man Utd are above them – Tielemans
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Tielemans: Man United Sit Above Villa, But I Owe Them Everything
Ninoda.com – Youri Tielemans has now earned 90 international appearances for Belgium and featured in the 2026 World Cup campaign. This summer marks the third occasion that Manchester United have pursued the Belgian midfielder. Back in 2019, the Red Devils showed strong interest following a successful loan period at Leicester City. Then came 2022, when United delayed their decision while waiting for Frenkie de Jong to commit to Barcelona. Ultimately, it was this past July that Old Trafford finally secured their man, activating a £35 million release clause to bring the 29-year-old on a five-year contract from Aston Villa.
“There had been two times that I spoke with the club, but it did not achieve anything,” he recalled. “I was very calm. I was not expecting much this summer, to be fair. I was just focused on my football, focused on the World Cup and trying to perform my best for my country.”
“But you know every summer something can happen, and obviously I was aware of the clause. I am very thankful to Aston Villa. I owe them the world. It is a great club, we did amazing things, and they have put me back to my best level. But there are clubs above Villa, and Manchester United is one of them.”
“It is a great achievement for any footballer to end up here. It means you have done well in your career. But it does not end there. I want to be successful.”
Training Camp Impressions and Partnership Hints
Tielemans appeared relaxed during his first substantial media session since completing the move, personally greeting every journalist in attendance. His smile widened considerably when questioned about his goal-scoring credentials—having netted Leicester’s decisive strike in the 2019 FA Cup final victory and subsequently opening the scoring for Villa against Freiburg in their Europa League triumph. “That’s the aim,” he confirmed simply.
Club officials observed promising signs between Tielemans and captain Bruno Fernandes during United’s recent trip to Gothenburg. Although the duo shared only 26 minutes of playing time in the 1-1 stalemate against Paris St-Germain, the connection was evident. “It’s really natural,” Tielemans explained. “He is a guy that can find space easily. I just try and find him so that he can move forward.”
Body Management and Career Reflections
The midfielder offered thoughtful insights regarding his physical condition and career longevity. Having debuted professionally for Anderlecht at just 16 years old, Tielemans has accumulated 668 appearances across club and international football. His recent World Cup campaign saw him withdraw from Belgium’s quarter-final encounter with Spain following a warm-up issue.
“I feel very good, actually,” he said. “In that last game, it was just an overload of too many games; too many minutes. Unfortunately, my body could not cope with it any more. We played 120 minutes against Senegal, then played the US a few days later, three days after that we played against Spain. In the warm-up, my body just switched off for some reason.”
“I do not think I am a player that absolutely needs a rest. Obviously, there are a lot of games, and the manager needs to manage the team, but when I am good, I am good. When it does not go well, I will know straight away and will alert the manager. But it does not happen often.”
Familiar Faces in Red
Settling into life at Old Trafford has been eased by several familiar connections. Jonny Evans, once a Leicester teammate, has remained close to Tielemans and provided a glowing character reference to head coach Michael Carrick. Harry Maguire also represents a past Leicester connection, while Marcus Rashford was a Villa teammate during Tielemans’ time at the club.
Rashford’s return to his boyhood club surprised many observers, including himself, following his departure from Villa after tensions with manager Ruben Amorim. “He was great,” Tielemans reflected. “There had been so much talk about him, bringing pressure and the media around him, but he was so good. He was very humble and hard-working, and fr
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