Noussair Mazraoui’s Manchester United career so far has been underpinned by his ability to play in multiple positions. That versatility is set to stand him in good stead as Michael Carrick’s Reds prepare for the final nine games of the season.
As Mazraoui explained in an interview for United Review, our matchday programme, he is also embracing the challenge of fasting during Ramadan…
How have you found working with Michael and the coaching team?
“Yeah, well, of course, I was not there for the first period because of AFCON, but, since I’m back, I’m really liking it a lot. They are very communicative, really clear in what they want to do. Of course, he has a big history at the club so he knows the club really, really well and you see and you feel that in this type of coaching and the words he’s saying to us in his meetings, of course. So, yes, I’m really impressed.”
And Jonathan Woodgate is one of the new coaches with a focus on defending. Have you enjoyed working with him also?
“He’s really positive. He’s really, really clear also. Like the whole staff know what they want and they’re telling us. They are really clear and really positive, in a way which you really understand. So yes, it’s really, really good to work with them.”
“They have a great history here. They won big prizes, so they know how it is in the good times, in the bad times, and you just see and feel that.”
“Yeah, that’s funny. That change, especially when I arrived, I knew him as my team-mate, and I have a quite good relationship with Jonny. So, yeah, I spoke a lot with him as a team-mate, but I already saw him... like because of his age, the respect was really, really high. So, basically, nothing really changed.”
And do you feel that with Carrick and Evans particular in there, have they spoken a lot about what it means to play for United?
“Yes, like I said, you really feel that, you really see that they know the club, really feel the value of the club, because they have a great history here. They won big prizes, so they know how it is in the good times, in the bad times, and you just see and feel that, and I think we also show that through these last games, of course. That’s not by luck or anything, that’s more quality and their understanding of the club rather than anything else.”
“Yeah, really sad. I think the announcement, when I saw it, was like... it was a sad day.”
What do you think Casemiro brings to the squad, specifically?
“He brings experience, like crazy. He knows how it is to win. He knows how it is, also, the road to win, because he has done it, he has lived it. So, yeah, we’re going to miss him a lot in the team, outside of the pitch, inside the pitch, of course.”
Can you remember any specific moments from him – maybe your favourite moment since you’ve been working with him?
“One moment which just pops into my mind, he’s like, in the game, he’s really focused, of course, disciplined and everything. He wants to win every minute of the game. I think one time it was final whistle, we won that game. We won the ball back at the right-back spot and he was there as well to support, and I think he had the ball. The referee whistled and then he gave me a panna, a nutmeg, at the end of the game and started laughing and I started laughing! But yeah, that’s how he is. He’s like joking but also a really, really great guy.”
“He brings experience, like crazy. He knows how it is to win. He knows how it is, also, the road to win, because he has done it, he has lived it.”
“I think Hakim Ziyech, when I arrived to the first team in Ajax, and Zakaria Labyad. Those two, of course, are from Morocco. So, they helped me a lot when I was younger and came through the first team.”
And from an outside perspective, or since you’ve been here in the Premier League, are there any players from United or other teams that have stood out to you at all?
“Stood out? Of course, Bruno Fernandes is really unbelievably good. His stats say a lot about him. And that’s of course one player which I’ve seen. I know other players from the Premier League already from watching on TV, but this guy I’m seeing now up close... I see what kind of special player he is.”
Are there any players in the Premier League or Champions League that you played against while you’ve been with United or previously that have surprised you by how good they are?
“I think all the wingers, because most of the time I’m playing full-back, all the wingers in the Premier League are really, really good from top to bottom. Fast, strong, technical, so you cannot underestimate any of them. So, if I’m going to give my props to anybody, I think it’s all of them because you cannot have a bad day with those guys. And if you have a bad day, you will see it straight away.”
Which players that you’ve played alongside have had the biggest impact on your career?
“I think also Hakim Ziyech because I’ve played for three, four years with him, so that’s a really long time. And I think my time in Germany was maybe too short, but if I have to say somebody there, I think it’s Thomas Muller. He’s a legendary guy, of course, a legendary player. So yeah, these two.”
“I’ve done it now for quite some time, my whole career now from a young age. You just know how to eat to get maximum performance throughout the day. It’s really important to fuel up in the moments you can eat.”
We’re talking during Ramadan – ‘Ramadan Mubarak, Noussair!’ – how’s that been for you?
“This year it’s going to be like, the sun is going down really early, so I expect it not to be that hard. But I’m going to enjoy this month a lot.”
How do you balance fasting with the intensity of training and games throughout the month?
“I think it’s experience. I’ve done it now for quite some time, my whole career now from a young age. So, yeah, you just know how to eat to get maximum performance throughout the day. It’s really important to fuel up in the moments you can eat so you can deliver at the moments that you’re fasting.”
Do you have any favourite foods or snacks to break your fast with?
“I always break my fast with a date.”
You were able to break your fast during a game last year. Do you find that alters your matchday routine at all?
“Well, of course. Normally, you’re fuelling up before the game, you have like a pre-match meal, try to be really hydrated before the game and that’s one thing you can’t do now. So, of course, that part is really different. But, on the other side, I think you have then more time to be like, get more into a focus. So, instead of focusing on food, you can now really focus on the game and on your spiritual thoughts as well.”
How important is that link with the club and the Muslim community?
“I think it’s very important because it’s a community which is really close to my beliefs. And I think, you know, if I can give them a little bit back like that, that’s something good to do.”
Finally, what are your goals for the rest of the season, and the team’s more generally?
“Well, personal goals, of course, to play good games, to end the season well, and of course, as a team, to be in European places at the end of the season. That’s a big goal for us, to start coming in a flow of what we’ve done lately and to keep that going.”
This interview first appeared in United Review, our matchday programme at Old Trafford. You can order any of this season's copies online.