Manchester United's Bryan Mbeumo reveals his sporting inspirations, including a tennis superstar, a Chelsea legend and a global icon

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Manchester United's new winger Bryan Mbeumo is set to make his competitive debut this weekend as his side take on Arsenal at Old Trafford in their 2025/26 Premier League opener. The Cameroonian, 26, spoke to TNT Sports ahead of that encounter to reveal some of the inspirational figures across the sporting landscape that have brought him to where he is now in his career.

Mbeumo inspired by attending 'crazy' tennis final

Video credit: TNT Sports

Bryan Mbeumo has opened up on the sporting figures that have shaped his career, as he prepares to make his competitive debut for Manchester United.

Mbeumo, 26, joined The Red Devils from Brentford over the summer and forms a fresh forward group alongside fellow new arrivals Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko.

The trio will all be in contention to start against Arsenal at Old Trafford, as Ruben Amorim looks for a fast start to the 2025/26 campaign.

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Mbeumo has come a long way from his early beginnings with Troyes in France, where he started life as a left-winger.

His breakout performance, aged just 18, came with Troyes' under-19 side in the final of the Coupe Gambardella at the Stade de France, where he resembled a mix of Robin van Persie and Gareth Bale to hit two wonderful goals as his team took home the trophy.

How was it, then, that Mbeumo moved over to the right side, a role he has performed with such distinction over the ensuing years?

"It [the move to the right] started a bit earlier in Troyes, when I started to play in the first team," Mbeumo told TNT Sports as part of an exclusive interview at the club's Carrington training ground.

"I was playing on the right side for almost six months, then after I was playing as a second striker for the last six months of the season.

"I think it’s important to be able to play a few positions."

Asked if there were any players who inspired him to become an inverse winger, Mbeumo added: "I was really watching Eden Hazard playing; he’s a great, great player."

Mbeumo's move to the right emphasises the 26-year-old's versatility, playing as many as seven positions in his career to date.

Position	Matches
Right-winger	164
Second striker	43
Centre-forward	32
Right midfield	22
Left-winger	6
Left-midfield	3
Attacking midfield	1

Data: Transfermarkt

And it's not just positionally that Mbeumo has evolved, with the Cameroonian working tirelessly on his technical skills too.

Over the summer, a social media video showed him honing his 'knuckleball' free kicks - something he terms "the snake".

And there is one iconic individual Mbeumo used as a reference point - Cristiano Ronaldo.

"I remember I was watching his videos when I was younger about free kicks," Mbeumo said.

"He’s a big inspiration for a lot of footballers."

The big question now is, will skipper Bruno Fernandes give Mbeumo a chance over United's free kicks?

"Why not?" Mbeumo said, smiling, all while admitting he hopes to benefit from Fernandes' dead-ball skills himself.

He added: "[Fernandes is a] top leader and top player, it’s really good to have someone like him to give you the deliveries, top balls.

"And it’s good that he can help us as well because he knows the team well and the environment as well, so it’s top to work with him."

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'Crazy' tennis final inspires Mbeumo

It's not just footballers that have inspired the rounded Mbeumo.

The ex-Brentford man attended the men's French Open final at Roland-Garros back in June, which turned into one of the all-time great major finals between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Sinner led by two sets to love, and held three consecutive championship points on his own serve, but passed them all up as Spaniard Alcaraz roared back to win the longest final in French Open history, at five hours and 29 minutes.

The top shots from an extraordinary Roland-Garros final

Video credit: TNT Sports

Alcaraz's feats left a strong impression on Mbeumo.

"I think it’s the resilience you can have," he said.

"Obviously I was watching the final there, and looking at Alcaraz being two sets down and at the end, winning the game, in a fantastic atmosphere, it was crazy.

"A lot of sports just give you so much to get inspired by, because this is a different game but in the end it’s the same mentality.

"This is how I try to help myself to get things from these sports."

Mbeumo, who last year posted on social media about the retirement of another Spanish tennis superstar, Rafael Nadal, then shared his thoughts on whether Alcaraz and Sinner can reach the lofty levels set by the so-called 'Big Three' of Roger Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

"I hope so, for the history. It would be good."

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