Willy Kambwala (19) made his debut for Manchester United in their 2-0 loss against West Ham United today.
The young Frenchman started as a centre-back on the left side of a defence inflicted with an injury crisis, as Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelöf, and Harry Maguire were all absent, while Raphaël Varane has reportedly fallen out of favour at the English club.
This dilemma proved to be Kambwala’s gain, as a player who has represented France in the under-16s category and has captained United’s under-19s in the UEFA Youth League, made the transition from the academy to the first team.
Kambwala joined the Red Devils from FC Sochaux-Montbéliard in 2020 and now looks like he could have an opportunity for a lengthy period at the heart of the United backline after a generally solid performance.
The young defender was largely left untested in the first half as West Ham managed only one shot on target. However, there were some nervy touches in the second as West Ham pressed high in targeted moments, but generally, it was an assured showing for the debut player despite the late rout from the Hammers to win.
Kambwala’s match ended early as the debutant was taken off in the 84th minute in what was an encouraging match despite the disappointing result for the player.
