Man United told of rarely discussed Youri Tielemans trait that will make him a fan favourite at Old Trafford

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Youri Tielemans did not have the best Premier League debut for Manchester United.

The Belgian struggled to impose his influence, and his off-the-ball struggles overshadowed how influential he was on the ball.

Out of possession, Santos often had to cover a lot of defensive ground alone, as Tielemans lacked the energy and recovery pace to help him.

Many would be stunned if the Belgian started against Ipswich on Sunday, and some already doubt he is the game-changing signing he was billed to be.

Well, for the doubting Thomases starting to suggest Tielemans will flop, Aston Villa’s John McGinn has explained why that will never happen.

McGinn: Tielemans will deliver for Man United

Speaking on The Overlap, the Villa captain could not believe anyone doubted what an asset Tielemans can be to a team:

“I’m talking about the complete player here, but he’s — like Jonny, I saw Jonny Evans talk about him a couple of weeks ago in the media, and he said he’s probably what United have been missing,” he said.

“We are going to lose him both on and off the pitch, but he’s a top player, and he’s so determined to win.

“That’s the one thing I’ll maybe miss from a lot of the players — their mentality when the going was getting tough. And I’ve got no doubts Youri will deliver that for United, definitely.”

Hull City struggles easy to understand

A lack of chemistry between him and Santos, given his late arrival to training, will not have helped either.

In addition, a lack of fitness after missing a full pre-season makes it easy to see why Tielemans has been held back.

But as they say, form is temporary, class is permanent. In time, the 29-year-old should find his feet, prove the doubters wrong, and prove Jonny Evans right when he said Tielemans “always gives 100% and pushes everyone around him to excel.”