Wonderkid pays tribute to Thierry Henry and Anthony Martial by emulating their style
Manchester United youngster Willy Kambwala, who made his senior debut for the club in December, took the opportunity during the winter break to visit French club Les Ulis. Les Ulis is the club where Kambwala spent five years as a schoolboy before joining Manchester United’s academy. This visit is a tradition started by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and fellow Manchester United player Anthony Martial, both of whom also spent time at Les Ulis during their youth. Kambwala presented a signed United jersey to the club, which will join the shirts signed by Henry and Martial on display at Les Ulis’ training facilities.
During his visit, Kambwala also provided guidance to the current youth players at Les Ulis. Martial had previously invited a group of Les Ulis academy players to tour Old Trafford in 2018, and Kambwala was potentially among them at the time. After leaving Les Ulis in 2018, Kambwala joined Sochaux before ultimately moving to Manchester United.
Despite a lengthy injury lay-off shortly after joining United, Kambwala has impressed manager Erik ten Hag with his performances in training and games for the Under-21s. Ten Hag believes Kambwala has a bright future with the club and is pleased with his potential and performance.
Overall, Kambwala’s visit to Les Ulis demonstrates his connection to the club where he developed as a young player, following in the footsteps of Henry and Martial. This tradition highlights the importance of honoring one’s roots and giving back to the community that helped shape their career.
