Manchester United starlet Axel Tuanzebe handed new contract until 2020

Manchester United youngster Axel Tuanzebe has signed a new contract at Old Trafford days after being handed his first-team debut by Jose Mourinho.

Tuanzebe, 19, has signed a contract extension which ties him to the club until 2020 with the option to extend by another year. One of the first youngsters name-checked by Mourinho following his arrival at the club, the 19-year-old currently captains United's Under-23. The composed centre-half has comfortably looked a level above reserve football this term and his progress has not gone unnoticed by the former Chelsea boss and his staff.

Tuanzebe was called into the first-team squad for last Sunday's FA Cup fourth round tie against Wigan Athletic, coming off the bench after 68 minutes to replace Timothy Fosu-Mensah. Having handed him his debut, Mourinho has now sought to tie the defender down to a new long-term deal.

"I have always been a Manchester United supporter so I am naturally delighted to have signed a new contract. To make my debut at Old Trafford in the FA Cup was a very proud moment, both for me and for my family," Tuanzebe told United's official website.

"I am learning every day in training and it is also a great experience for me to now train with the first team. I would like to thank all of the coaches that I have worked with and I would especially like to thank the manager for giving me my debut for this great club."

Nicky Butt, United's head of academy, has also paid tribute to the teenager, describing him as "simply one of those boys you just trust.

"Whatever he does, when he goes on the pitch, when he is in training, when he goes home, when he's in front of the press... you trust him," he told MUTV. "He is the perfect example to all our Academy players – as is Marcus Rashford as well.

"They're the kind of players we want to bring to this club through the academy. We want them to be with our club for five, 10, 15 years and be the leaders at United and show the next group of youngsters how they should do things."