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Axel Tuanzebe was only 11-years-old when he gave his first interview.

“I love football and I really want to stay playing for Manchester United until I am old enough to join the main team,” he told a local news website in 2009.

Last week, the photographers had gathered outside Crystal Palace's dressing rooms for Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata, and David de Gea's arrival through Holmesdale Road at Selhurst Park, however one strapping lad caught the eye.

Tuanzebe, not 18 until Saturday, strode calmly and chatted to Andreas Pereira as the two teenagers headed into Selhurst's bowels. The washbag confirmed he was not on work experience. Six years on from that endearing answer, Tuanzebe had joined the first team.

It had been coming. Tuanzebe was photographed arriving at Carrington for senior training last month and whereas his stony-faced teammates looked straight ahead, Tuanzebe offered a polite wave.

Paddy McNair did not have a Wikipedia page when Van Gaal selected him in the starting line-up against West Ham last year and Tuanzebe is yet to earn one. His profile, though, has now been promoted to the first-team squad on the club website and, unlike three-time Champions League winner Victor Valdes and England Under-21 international Nick Powell, the Congo-born defender has a squad number - 38.

Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rochdale raised, Tuanzebe captained the St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School Year 7 side to the final of the English National Schools Cup in 2009. The first Rochdale outfit to reach the final of a competition that attracted 702 schools, St Cuthbert's were beaten in the Stamford Bridge final.

"He was a delightful young man, academically and sportingly," St Cuthbert's assistant head and P.E. teacher, Joanne Holt, tells the M.E.N.

"Axel was diligent and a really popular young man among his peers. We knew United had spotted him before he joined the school and he left at the end of Year 8 to move into Manchester, but he was quiet about his great achievements.

"He comes from a lovely family, still visits as often as he possibly can and sees his old P.E. teacher, Mr. Lockett."

Chris Hickman, sports co-ordinator at St John’s Roman Catholic Primary School, came across Tuanzebe when he he was in the reception year.

"He joined us when he was five and he was playing for the Year 6 team when he was in Year 3," Hickman recalls over the phone.

"So he was an eight-year-old playing with 11-year-olds. United must have spotted him when he was nine. He preferred United to the other ones.

"Axel was just so natural, so physical, you just knew he was going to do it, but he wasn't big-headed. We used to give him the ball in defence and he'd run up the other end and score for us."

Tuanzebe's affection for his old schools is charming.

"Axel still gets his haircut around the corner from the school, so he sometimes pops in at lunchtime for a chat," Hickman adds. "I last saw him about three weeks ago.

"Last season, he rang me up and was really excited because he had these free tickets for a United game, he was just delighted to have that privilege. So I went with his brother, Dimitri. It was lovely that he just wanted to give something back.

"I sent him a text after the Crystal Palace game and he responded a few hours later. He must have had hundreds!"

Does Hickman stand by his prediction, six years ago, it 'could happen for him'?

"Definitely."

The English National Schools Cup organisers requested a chat with St Cuthbert's skipper and asked Tuanzebe to describe the prospect of playing at Chelsea's stadium.

"Mind-blowing," he beamed, flashing that charming smile. Tuanzebe thanked 'all my coaches, supporters, parents and teachers'.

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Despite the final disappointment, St Cuthbert's left an impressive legacy. Tuanzebe's teammates Connor Ronan, Kisimba Kisimba, and goalkeeper Johny Diba all joined Rochdale's academy. Ronan moved to Wolves in the summer and the latter two are still at Spotland.

Awarded the Sports Boy of the Year by then Mayor of Rochdale Keith Swift in 2009, Tuanzebe's athleticism extended to cross country, where he came first in Year 7. He also finished third in the Greater Manchester four-lap race and represented his school in the triple jump.

On Wednesday, Tuanzebe was back in his age group, starting for Nicky Butt's Under-19s in the Uefa Youth League. He performed imperiously for the Under-21s against Everton in September and his ascension to Van Gaal's squad is not a surprise to those at Carrington.

The Dutchman was a confirmed admirer of Tuanzebe as far back as a year ago and, according to one source, coaches hastily earmarked him as a future partner for Marcos Rojo. Rojo's future is no longer at centre half but Tuanzebe's is and he is expected to make his first-team debut this season.

Outside the room at Carrington where Louis van Gaal chairs his press conferences, a picture of Tuanzebe decorates the plaque celebrating the youngsters to have received the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award. Predecessors include Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil Neville, Wes Brown, Giuseppe Rossi and Danny Welbeck. Like some of those names, Tuanzebe isn't satisfied.

“Once something happens, it’s finished and onto the next one,” he told MUTV. “You take it in your stride. Criticism is as good as praise really, as it allows you to work on something you’re not as good at.”

If he continues in that vein, there will be more interview requests.