Leny Yoro is a young Manchester United defender currently getting better and better at Old Trafford, and Mikael Silvestre has made an interesting observation.
Over the past four or five games, Leny Yoro has really started to kick on for Manchester United, showcasing consistency in Lisandro Martinez’s absence.
Yoro was top class against Villa, with a performance that may have been his best yet in a United shirt, both on and off the ball.
After a baptism of fire in English football, Yoro is showing his world-class potential, and long may it continue.
Leny Yoro playing against Aston Villa
Photo by Mark Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images
What are your expectations for Leny Yoro’s Man Utd career?
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Mikael Silvestre compares Leny Yoro breakthrough to Wayne Rooney
Yoro was seen as generational by United when he joined the club as an 18-year-old back in 2024. This is because of his breakout in France.
Now, speaking on the latest episode of the Inside Carrington podcast, former United defender Mikael Silvestre has spoken highly of Yoro, whom he watched debut as a 16-year-old.
“It’s his maturity. The understanding of the game and the calmness, because at the back, the manager’s not going to put you in if you’re making mistakes. You need to be there straight away, and that’s what he did.
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“You check his date of birth, and you are like, ‘Are you sure?’. It was the same with Wazza [Wayne Rooney]. Even if Wazza was a bit more agitated on the pitch. It’s the way you perform, you think, ‘no, this boy is not 16 or 17’.
“With Leny, it was like this in Ligue 1 straightaway.”
Obviously, Rooney and Yoro are very different, but in terms of maturity at such a young age, they share the trait of being able to step up. Silvestre then added how highly he rates Yoro.
“He had a very high-level package already at such a young age, so straightaway, he was on the radar of a lot of big teams. He progressed quickly, and I was surprised he left Lille that early. It was great for United to snatch him from Real Madrid.”
Rio Ferdinand has always urged patience with Leny Yoro
“He’s a student of the game, he sees his mistakes, he acknowledges his mistakes and he tries to learn from those mistakes.”
Rio Ferdinand
Wes Brown tells Yoro when he was at his best for Manchester United
In the Inside Carrington episode, Wes Brown was also present, and he was asked to tell Yoro what he thinks of him.
“When I watch Leny, as a defender, it’s always difficult coming in at a young age. But first of all, you’re looking at the attributes, and he’s got all of them; he’s tall and quick.
“You just hope he stays fit and he’ll be in the United shirt for many, many years. He’s been fantastic every time he’s played, especially the West Ham game.”
Yoro shone against the Hammers, coming off the bench to effectively prevent West Ham from claiming a big win.
The scary part for rivals is that Yoro is six years off his peak. He’s going to be brilliant.
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