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Manchester United left-back Tyrell Malacia has revealed that he spoke to former Red Devils forward Robin van Persie before making his move to Old Trafford.
Van Persie notably won the Premier League in his first season with United, having joined from Arsenal in the summer of 2012. The club have not won the league title since then, only managing a couple of second-place finishes.
The Dutchman left Old Trafford in 2015 but seems to have influenced his compatriot's decision to join his former club. Malacia, who played alongside Van Persie at Feyenoord, spoke about his conversation with the former Premier League Golden Boot winner.
He said (as quoted by ESPN):
"I spoke with him about United and his time in the Premier League. He had some great memories, some good stories, so it's always good and positive."
Malacia became the first signing of the Erik ten Hag era at Manchester United, joining from Feyenoord for a fee worth around £12.9 million (as per Eurosport). The 22-year-old has joined a squad that already boasts three left-backs - Luke Shaw, Alex Telles and Brandon Williams.
However, Malacia is keen to fight for a spot in the starting XI, saying:
"There are some good left-backs here -- Telles, Brandon, Luke, me -- so you have to work hard and prove ourselves in training and in the end the coach will make a decision. Of course (I want to be first choice). It's everybody's aim. You always want to play, so you have to work hard for it."
Malacia made his Manchester United debut in their 4-0 thrashing of Liverpool in a pre-season friendly earlier this week. The youngster began the game on the bench before replacing Shaw at half-time, putting in a solid shift.
Manchester United's Tyrell Malacia impressed at Feyenoord
Malacia was a product of the Feyenoord academy, eventually transitioning into their first team in 2017. He played only 14 times across competitions in his debut campaign for the Dutch outfit and didn't cross the 30-appearance mark till the 2020-21 season.
However, the left-back played 50 times last season to help Feyenoord reach the UEFA Europa Conference League final and finish third in the Eredivisie.
Malacia made 136 appearances for Feyenoord across competitions before his move to Manchester United. He scored four goals and laid out ten assists, winning the Dutch Cup and the Dutch Super Cup. He has also won five caps for the Netherlands, recording two assists.
