Manchester United youngster Willy Kamwbala is one of the team’s rising stars, after being called into the first team last month.
Willy Kambwala has had whirlwind few weeks, packing more into the past month for Manchester United, than the first three years he spent in the academy.
Kambwala became the fourth Manchester United player handed a debut by manager Erik ten Hag, against West Ham last month, featuring as a starter. Omari Forson later became the fifth.
After that tough debut away at West Ham, Kambwala then featured as a substitute in Manchester United’s win over Aston Villa.
He then made his FA Cup debut as a substitute in Manchester United’s win over Wigan at the start of this year.
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How Willy Kambwala spent his winter break
Manchester United’s players have been on a winter break since the draw with Tottenham at Old Trafford
While some have jetted off to warm weather destinations, Willy Kambwala has simply made the trip over the Channel to his native France, for an important reason.
Manchester United signed Kambwala from French side Sochaux in 2020, where he spent two seasons. But his football career began with sixth-tier side Les Ulis.
During the break, Kambwala made the trip back to Les Ulis, based in a Paris suburb, and presented his club with a signed Manchester United shirt.
It is a tradition of the club, as you can see from the photo below, because Thierry Henry, a former Les Ulis youth prospect, did exactly the same, giving the club a signed Barcelona shirt.
Les Ulis wrote: “Tradition is being respected”, and praised Kambwala “on his willingness to offer the club of his heart the shirt of his new club Manchester United.”
There was another important task for Kambwala, with the young Frenchman spending time with kids in the club’s academy at present, potential stars of the future.
Les Ulis wrote: “The children took advantage of his advice and his presence to immortalise the moment.”
Les Ulis connection to Manchester United
As displayed in the Instagram image above, there is a shirt on display from another famous player, Manchester United’s Anthony Martial, who made the same trip back to Les Ulis.
Anthony Martial is one of three Manchester United players to begin their careers with Les Ulis along with Kambwala, with the other being Champions League winner Patrice Evra.
Evra spent a year in their academy, the club of the suburb he grew up in, and credits with his resilience.
“I’m from Les Ulis. I’m tough,” Evra writes proudly in the Players’ Tribune.
Willy Kambwala is the third former Les Ulis prospect to make it to Old Trafford, and whatever the future holds for him, he has come a long way already, partly thanks to Martial.
Kambwala was among a group of Les Ulis players invited by Anthony Martial on a tour of Old Trafford in 2018, The MEN reported. He was 13 at the time, and this visit inspired his determination to one day play for Manchester United.
Now he is providing the inspiration to a new generation. As his Manchester United career kicks off, the kids he visited on his return to France will be looking to follow in his footsteps.
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