Youri Tielemans has opened up on his long-awaited move to Manchester United, admitting the club represent a step above his former employers Aston Villa.
The Belgian midfielder joined United this summer after the club triggered a £35m release clause, securing him on a five-year deal from Villa Park.
It was the third time United had seriously pursued Tielemans, having previously looked at him in 2019 following an impressive loan spell at Leicester, and again in 2022 when they were chasing Frenkie de Jong.
The 29-year-old was on World Cup duty when the move was finalised, and he admits he was not anticipating a transfer this summer before events unfolded quickly.
“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,” he said.
Despite his affection for Villa, Tielemans was refreshingly honest about his ambitions and what United represent in the football landscape.
“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,” he said.
Tielemans made his professional debut for Anderlecht at just 16 and has now accumulated 668 appearances across club and international football.
He was forced to withdraw from Belgium’s World Cup quarter-final against Spain after experiencing a physical issue in the warm-up, which he attributed to an accumulation of minutes across a congested schedule.
“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,” he explained.
Despite that concern, Tielemans insists he is not a player who routinely requires rotation and says he will communicate clearly with the coaching staff if that changes.
“I do not think I am a player that absolutely needs a rest. When I am good, I am good. When it does not go well, I will know straight away and I will alert the manager,” he said.
Head coach Michael Carrick has given Tielemans an open brief on the pitch, encouraging creativity and organisation rather than rigid instruction.
“He wants me to be free on the pitch, to try and organise the team the best I can. It is just smelling football, which is what I have been doing from when I was young at Anderlecht,” Tielemans said.
An early partnership with captain Bruno Fernandes has caught the eye of senior United officials, even after just 26 minutes together during the 1-1 draw with Paris St-Germain in Gothenburg.
“It’s really natural. He is a guy that can find space easily. I just try and find him so that he can move forward,” said Tielemans of the United skipper.
The Belgian is also reunited with several familiar faces at Old Trafford, including Jonny Evans, a former Leicester team-mate who offered a positive reference to Carrick ahead of the transfer.
Tielemans also spoke warmly about Marcus Rashford, who returned to United after his stint at Villa under a cloud, praising the forward’s attitude and quality from his time at the club.
“He was very humble and hard-working, and from the first training session you could tell his touch and acceleration was just amazing. That was what we needed at the time. Hopefully he can bring them here,” Tielemans said.
