Who is Willy Kambwala handed his Manchester United debut against West Ham?

Debutant Willy Kambwala became the only ray of positivity in Manchester United’s overall poor game against West Ham, as the Red Devils find themselves in a crisis despite Erik ten Hag being without any concern. Manchester United were defeated 2-0 by West Ham, caused by goals coming from Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen.

Man United stand at eighth in the Premier League table, with eight points separating them from the top four. The Red Devils recorded their fourth defeat in the last seven matches, leaving ten Hag scratching his head. However, the debut of academy graduate Willy Kambwala highlighted the evening for the fans.

Who is Willy Kambwala?

Carrington Academy graduate Willy Kambwala became the fifth United product in the starting lineup on Saturday, giving the fans something to cheer for. Kambwala, who plays as a center back, got his minutes owing to United’s worrying injury crisis in the defense, with Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire all out from contention.

After United beat Liverpool to sign Willy Kambwala from Sochaux, the under-17 French captain, has been with the team for little over three years. Since then, he has progressed through the club’s under-18 and under-21 divisions.

Kambwala, who stands at a towering 6ft 4in, has also played three times in the EFL Trophy this season, and has made few UEFA Youth League appearances for United. According to various reports, Kambwala is a “well-known figure among the club’s youth ranks”.

Willy Kambwala makes United debut in defeat to West Ham

Willy Kambwala donned the No. 53 shirt for United against the current UEFA Conference League champions West Ham and shocked many with a very confident and impressive performance in front of a very clinical Hammers attack.

Handing Kamwala the debut cap, Erik ten Hag, while speaking to TNT Sports, said, “He’s calm, he’s made a good impression in training”. He further added, “Of course he’s inexperienced and this is a big moment for him. He’s athletic and calm on the ball.”

On Kambwala’s debut, Ten Hag let him appear for 84 minutes before replacing the rookie with substitute Sergio Reguilon. After working in the academy, the teenager became the 248th player to be called up to the Manchester United first team. 

While Manchester United have overhauled the medical team to improve the fitness in the team, Kambwala might have to report to duty more often now that he has performed well, and the other defenders look to be far off from match fitness.

Do you think Willy Kambwala can be a star in the future and more importantly solve United’s worrying defensive issues? Let us know in the comments.