Tuanzebe eager to prove his worth at United

Axel Tuanzebe has waited patiently for his Manchester United bow but now he wants to kick on and prove he has what it takes to succeed at Old Trafford.

The highly-rated defender was handed his first start against Arsenal on Sunday and, although the Gunners won 2-0, Tuanzebe impressed – keeping Alexis Sanchez quiet throughout the contest.

The 19-year-old initially caught the eye of manager Jose Mourinho last summer on the club’s pre-season tour, while he made his debut as a substitute against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup in January.

Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images

Now he wants to show what he is made of after an encouraging Premier League display, and repay the faith shown in him by Mourinho.

“It’s all thanks to the manager because he gave me the opportunity,” Tuanzebe said

“We didn’t get the win, which is a disappointment, but I’m chuffed personally.

“At first, you see all the fans and you think ‘flipping heck’ but when the game starts, you lose yourself in it and concentrate on doing your job.

“The manager gave me one task: to stay with him [Alexis], and I seemed to do that quite well but again, we didn’t win so it doesn’t count as much.

“But it’s good to have the opportunity to play – the manager gives you a job and you have to show he can trust you for future games.”