As first impressions, this was not quite up there with Wayne Rooney’s one-man obliteration of Fenerbahce all the way back in 2004.
But as the newest addition to this Manchester United squad donned the famous red shirt and walked out onto the pitch for the first time, we were immediately gifted a tantalising glimpse into the potential Leny Yoro boasts by the bucketload.
Only a few minutes were on the clock before the £52 million signing from LOSC Lille showcased the speed, the strength and the silky smooth timing that have drawn comparisons with a young Raphael Varane and Rio Ferdinand.
Rather than diving in – as many 18-year-old’s may have been tempted to do – Yoro simply muscled Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers out of the way and prodded the ball out of play. That was a feature of the teenager’s game, appearing for United for the first time during their 2-0 pre-season friendly victory over Rangers at Murrayfield.
He just made everything look so effortless; whether it was last-ditch interventions like the one to deny Dessers, or picture-perfect diagonals out to the wing.
Leny Yoro makes good Manchester United impression
Now, a pre-season outing against a semi-fit Rangers is one thing.
The Premier League is about the most unforgiving of all footballing habitats, and a few high-profile mistakes early in his United career will have the microscope firmly pinned on young Leny Yoro.
Lest we forget – despite all the excitement that greeted his arrival and the coup that was snapping him up under the noses of Real Madrid – this is still a teenager with fewer than 50 first-team league appearances under his belt.
Fortunately, he has a mentor in the shape of Harry Maguire. A man who knows all too well the pressures that come with playing for Manchester United, and a man who has shown remarkable resolve while turning his cynics into supporters again.
Yoro has clearly made a good early impression on Maguire. But, speaking to The Athletic, the England international is keen to temper expectations surrounding a man who has maybe unhelpfully been labelled, in some quarters, the ‘Kylian Mbappe of defenders’.
“We must remind ourselves he is really young,” Maguire says. “There are gonna be mistakes.
“But he has every attribute of a centre back in the modern game, so I’m sure he’s gonna have a bright future.
“It’s our job as senior centre backs, my job, to help him along, communicate well, let him know what to expect.”
Erik ten Hag has big hopes for £52m signing
Yoro will also have the wise old head of Jonny Evans to turn to. 36-year-old Evans recently signed a contract extension at Old Trafford.
The force of nature that is World Cup winner Lisandro Martinez should also help ease Yoro’s adaptation into life in Manchester, presuming the Argentine and the Frenchman will be immediately installed as Erik ten Hag’s first-choice central defensive partnership.
“For the first time, after just one training (session), it’s a very mature performance,” Ten Hag said after throwing Yoro straight in for a start against Rangers just two days after he put pen to paper, per The Guardian.
“That’s what we saw when we scouted him. It’s great to have him. He’s a very young, talented centre‑back and there’s a lot to come. He’s here, we think he can play but there’s so many games that he’ll be in a group of four or five defenders.”
“We want to have a strong squad, as strong as possible,” adds Ten Hag, clearly delighted to have the backing of an ambitious, high-level support staff at last.
“The football leadership is very on the front foot. That’s what clubs like Manchester United should do. We’re very pleased we’ve done business. We have Yoro in. We have (Joshua) Zirkzee in.
“Two high‑potential assets for the future.”
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