Bryan Mbeumo emulated Mbappe as a teen, now he can raise the standards at Man Utd like Cristiano Ronaldo

The Irish Sun

4 days ago

BRYAN MBEUMO has been backed to do something not even Cristiano Ronaldo could — raise the standards at Man Utd.
The Cameroonian winger arrived at Old Trafford last month for
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Mbeumo has signed for United as a key member of how Ruben Amorim wants to play
Credit: Getty
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Teen Mbeumo netted twice at the Coupe Gambardella final, something only Kylian Mbappe had managed
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Mbeumo middle with his Troyes teammates before the 2019 French Youth Cup final
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From the small town of Avallon in
France
where he was born to joining the Red Devils on one of football's biggest stages, there's been one constant in Mbeumo's rise — he makes those around him better.
Professional, meticulous and relentless, it's what carried him from the shadows at Troyes to Premier League stardom and now to United.
When
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Man Utd have fallen even further since, with an embarrassing 15th-place finish last season seeing them plunge to the lowest point since they were last relegated.
But Mbeumo can help the club return to better days, according to childhood best friend and former Troyes team-mate Franck Momo.
In an exclusive interview he told SunSport 'Believe me, Bryan will have a big impact in that
dressing room
.
'He hates to lose so much it's crazy. In the beginning he'll be shy, but once the season goes on, his personality and professionalism will shine. His teammates will follow his lead.'
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When Mbeumo joined Troyes at just 14, he wasn't the flashiest or most talked-about kid in the group.
But even then, he understood that talent alone wouldn't take him all the way and that to succeed and to climb the precarious ladder of top level
football
- you needed to have grit too.
Mbeumo completes Man Utd move
Franck said: 'He was with the 1999 age group, I was two years older but one thing was certain he wasn't the best player on paper.
'I remember the first time when he was promoted to come and play with us in the reserves team and I asked the coach why Bryan and not the others. I got a simple answer.
'He told me, 'Bryan's the most efficient. He knows his strengths and works on them every day.''
The first time anyone outside of
France
heard of Mbeumo was when he netted twice at the Coupe Gambardella final, France's version of
the FA
Youth Cup, to guide Troyes to their first trophy in 62 years.
The last player to hit a double in that final was a certain
He hates to lose so much it's crazy. In the beginning he'll be shy, but once the season goes on, his personality and professionalism will shine.
Franck Momo
Franck remembered: 'That was the moment everything clicked for him.
'You know when you're in an academy working hard and sometimes get to play with your seniors but then in an important game something remarkable happens, that was it for him.
'The dream and to get his contract and all that was just amazing. That was it for Bryan.'
He'd already made his Ligue 1 debut and played a few games, but Troyes got relegated that season.
There was a silver lining for Mbeumo.
With big earners gone to balance the books, he became a regular. He played 40 games in Ligue 2, scored 11 goals, and caught the eye of PSG, Monaco, and Lens.
They all showed concrete interest in him but he chose to move out of the country of his birth and sign for Championship side
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Mbeumo joined Brentford at a time top French clubs where looking at him and now he's at Man United
Credit: Getty
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At Troyes he was not even considered the most talented player but always grafted hard
Credit: AFP
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Franck says: 'Looking back now, it's like he knew what he was doing.
'He's made it to Man United now but at the time, going from Ligue 2 to the Championship, it didn't make sense to most people.
'Like think about it, he could have gone and still be in France but he just decided, this is where I want to be.'
At Brentford, the story continued, same Mbeumo, same upward curve. His debut season, with 16 goals in 47 games, helped the Bees to the play-off final, where they lost 2-1 to
The next season, with
In his Premier League debut season, aged 22, Mbeumo scored eight goals in 38 appearances and could have had more had he not hit the woodwork seven times.
He even bagged a hat-trick in the FA Cup against Port Vale. But few knew the personal sacrifice behind the scenes.
Franck revealed: 'He moved to
England
alone. His mum came later but that first year was tough, Covid restrictions, isolation. It was just him and his
video games
.
He trains like it's a match so it's easy to see how far players like that can go, they put in so much effort in their work.
Cameroon boss, Emmanuel Buddy Mbang Kollo
'He loves video games, honestly, if he wasn't a footballer, he'd be a gamer. He'd spend hours on the pad, it was annoying sometimes, but that's Bryan.'
His study rise did not go unnoticed in
So much so that Samuel Eto'o, legend-turned-president of the Cameroonian FA, made getting Mbeumo to play for them his mission.
Cameroon's national team manager Emmanuel Buddy Mbang Kollo recalls the journey of getting Mbeumo to play for the Indomitable Lions. He says: 'We tried to get him for the last Afcon in 2022.
'To be honest I think he was first thinking about playing for the France national team but we kept on trying.
'I think our encouragement came from the fact he used to come to Cameroon every year so we just kept on knocking.
'Once Eto'o spoke to him, we knew we had him. Since he came in I have to say he's been excellent.
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Manchester United agreed a fee in the region of £71million for the Cameroon international
Credit: Getty
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United fans will hope he can bring his best form to the club and help them get back to winning big things
Credit: Manchester united
'The energy he brings to the squad is priceless and unlike players that we mostly have come from Europe he's just come in and embrace the culture and setting the standards.
'He trains like it's a match so it's easy to see how far players like that can go, they put in so much effort in their work.
At Brentford, his teammate
He also hinted how United players will enjoy having him at the club, saying: 'He's a top player and that makes my job easy.
'We've played together for years. I know where to be and I know he'll find me."
Since Sir Alex left in 2013, Man Utd haven't won a title, have suffered turmoil on and off the pitch, and their transfer business has been ridiculed.
But one thing they're doing right is buying players like Mbeumo - someone who brings the qualities of hunger, humility, and hard graft.
That is a good start.
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Mbeumo and Wissa formed a brilliant partnership at Brentford
Credit: Getty
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Mbeumo took a while before deciding to play for Cameroon
Credit: Getty