Who Is Axel Tuanzebe?

Manchester United's Under-18s captain, Axel Tuanzebe, was crowned Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year at the recent end-of-season awards ceremony, so we spoke to MUTV Academy commentator David Stowell to get the lowdown on the Reds youngster...

For those not familiar with Axel Tuanzebe, can you tell us a little bit about him?
Axel grew up in Rochdale but was actually born in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was very highly thought of in the youth football circuits of his home town and has been part of United’s Academy set-up since a very young age. This season he’s been fantastic and has only missed three games for the U18s, and those were when he was stepping up to Under-21 level, all pretty impressive when you think that he’s still only 17. He’s obviously got a bit of growing to do, but he’s going to be a robust, solid, physical player. He’s also got a bit of pace about him and is more than comfortable in possession of the ball.

From speaking to United's youth team coaches, is Axel a player who has long been talked about as a potential star of the future?
Quite a few of the coaches I have spoken to have expected him to do well, but at the same time they are always careful, even when it’s off the record, not to big a player up too much – that’s part of the mentality of the club. I always look at it that even if they are doing well, who’s to say that they won’t suffer a dip in form, or if they get too much praise it might go to their heads. They’re young guys who are developing as players and as people, which is why the coaches work hard to keep their feet on the ground. Even though they might expect Axel to step out and be one of the better players, they’re careful not to overplay that.

He’s skippered the U18s this season and has shown great maturity in that role. How important has that been for Paul McGuinness' side?
He's been very important. The other players often looked to him for inspiration to drive on through matches. The U18s is a very difficult team to be part of because everyone’s at a tricky age where they’re trying to establish whether or not they can make a career at Manchester United – even though they clearly have the talent because otherwise they wouldn’t be here. With that in mind, I think Axel gives the rest of the team confidence that, yes, they can win today. He’ll often give little speeches when they have a pre-match huddle and that’s all important.

In terms of style, what sort of defender is he?
I’m not one of those who likes to say so-and-so is the next Paul Scholes, or whatever, but if you to compare his style of play to great defenders of United’s past like Vidic and Ferdinand, then you’d say that he was more in the ilk of Ferdinand. He’s a ball-playing centre-half as opposed to a tackler. For example, there were many times over the course of the season where Axel won the ball without going to ground. He’s tall, quick and has the ability to stop the opposition in a variety of different ways as opposed to always sliding into the challenge. It’s that mix of attributes that makes up the way he plays.

Has he always been a defender? His confidence on the ball suggests that he may have played elsewhere as a more attacking player...
Although he features mostly as a defender, he came to the club very much able to play in both positions, and he has done exactly that during his time here. His few appearances for the U21s have seen him come on towards the end of matches, largely in a midfield role, sometimes on the right-hand side and sometimes through the centre. This versatility will certainly serve him well as it’s an attribute that is respected by Louis van Gaal and will mean Axel is a benefit to each age group he represents.

Does Axel have the qualities to follow other winners of the Jimmy Murphy award, such as Ryan Giggs and fellow defender Wes Brown, to establish himself as a first-team regular?
It’s important that when you get an award like this you enjoy the feeling, but then you really need to knuckle down and get ready for the next test after it – that’s the challenge for Axel now. He’s had that pat on the back, so it’s clear people think he’s a good player, but you can either let that go to your head or strive to be even better. To a certain extent it’s up to him how far he goes. He’s got a great work ethic and, as long as he continues to listen and learn from Paul McGuinness and Warren Joyce, then hopefully he’ll get a break.