Manchester United midfielder Youri Tielemans says he is fully fit and ready to handle the club's upcoming season after joining from Aston Villa.
The 29-year-old Belgian international completed a £35 million transfer to Old Trafford after Manchester United triggered a release clause in his contract. Tielemans signed a five-year contract with Manchester United following a campaign in which he helped Aston Villa win the Europa League against Freiburg in Istanbul.
Tielemans arrives at Manchester United with 668 career appearances already under his belt. He is facing the prospect of surpassing Lionel Messi's record of 701 professional games played before turning 30, and could also challenge Cristiano Ronaldo's total of 720 matches if Manchester United make deep runs in cup competitions this season.
Manchester United face a minimum of 48 matches following their return to the Champions League, with the total expected to reach the mid-50s. Tielemans could pass Messi's record by the final weekend of the Premier League season against Bournemouth.
Career Longevity and World Cup Recovery
Speaking inside Manchester United's five-star team base for their training camp in Ireland, Tielemans reflected on his physical condition following the World Cup in the United States. He missed 21 games for Aston Villa last season with ankle and calf injuries but still logged 62 appearances overall during the 2024-25 season.
At the World Cup, Belgium played 120 minutes against Senegal before facing the United States three or four days later and Spain three days after that. Tielemans explained that his body reached its limit during the warm-up before the Spain match.
"It was just that last game," Tielemans said. "It was just an overload of too many games, too many minutes, and unfortunately my body could not cope with it anymore."
Despite that setback, Tielemans expressed complete confidence about his readiness for Manchester United's opening fixture against Hull in 10 days. "Yes, I am [confident]," he said. "I feel very good, actually. I had a little issue during the World Cup, which is sorted now, and I feel back 100 per cent fit."
He added that pre-season focus has been on rebuilding stamina for the upcoming fixture schedule. "Obviously, pre-season is all about building up fitness for the season, but, yeah, I feel great. I feel like I am ready to go, and in 10 days’ time [against Hull] we will be there," Tielemans said.
Tactical Role and Working With Michael Carrick
Tielemans made his professional debut for Anderlecht against Lokeren in 2013 at age 16, when his new manager Michael Carrick still had five years remaining on his playing career at Manchester United. By age 17, Tielemans had reached double figures in Champions League appearances, a mark surpassed at a younger age only by Lamine Yamal. By age 18, he had played over 100 professional matches.
Manchester United previously approached Tielemans when he left Monaco in 2019, though he moved to Leicester City instead. United inquired again in the summer of 2022 before signing Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in central midfield. Now brought in for £35 million to fill the void left by Casemiro, Tielemans dismissed suggestions of added expectation.
"Not really, because we are all different players," Tielemans said about replacing Casemiro. "He has different qualities, he had a different career path than I have. I just try to be myself, to bring my own qualities to the team, and to enjoy my time here. But it does not add any pressure at all for me."
Tielemans described his initial phone conversation with Carrick, who wants him to bring a "smelling football" approach to control match tempo. "He wants to have the ball, he wants to press in certain ways," Tielemans explained. "It might be different than what you are used to, what I have been used to before, but it is logical things in my opinion. It is just smelling football, and that is what I have been doing from when I was young at Anderlecht. So for me, nothing changes."
He emphasized the importance of team cohesion under Carrick's principles. "But it just needs to gel together. When you follow those principles, then you can add your offensive qualities, especially in the last third where everything is a bit more about freedom, without obviously overcommitting and keeping the defensive line in place. Then I think we can do good things," Tielemans said.
Positional Versatility and Mentoring Young Players
Throughout his career, Tielemans has played as a deep-lying No 6, a box-to-box No 8, and an advanced No 10. He views his best role as bridging the defensive and attacking lines while linking up naturally with Bruno Fernandes.
"I have played different roles in my career. So yeah, I am not just glued to one system or one role. I try and do a bit of everything," Tielemans said. "Being that link between the defence and the attack, I think that suits me the best."
He outlined his focus on creating opportunities for forward players. "I just try and play forward as much as I can," Tielemans said, "either to Bruno [Fernandes] or the front line, to try and put them in positions that they can attack with freedom and that they can create and use their qualities."
Tielemans also expects to serve as a mentor for younger midfielders in the squad, such as 19-year-old Tyler Fletcher, 21-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, and 22-year-old summer signing Andrey Santos. He noted that he owes Aston Villa "the world" for restoring his career to its peak level before making the move to Old Trafford.
"I just try to be myself, and it all comes in a natural way," Tielemans said regarding his leadership style. "I do not try to boss anyone around because no one likes that anyway. So I just try to be myself, be natural, and then obviously with good performances it helps others to follow."
"Now, I do not think I am a player that I absolutely need a rest. Obviously, there is a lot of games and the manager needs to manage the team, but when I am good, I am good, you know… it does not happen often," Tielemans added.
