Tyrell Malacia: The story so far
22-year-old defender Tyrell Malacia joins the likes of Edwin van der Sar and Ruud van Nistelrooy on the list of Dutch players to represent Manchester United, becoming new Reds boss Erik ten Hag's first signing.
Adept at both left full-back and wing-back, Malacia rose through the ranks at Dutch side Feyenoord, and has represented the Netherlands at senior level - a remarkable feat for someone whose best years are more than likely still ahead of him.
The Rotterdam-born defender was earmarked as a priority by Ten Hag and joins fellow countrymen Tahith Chong and Donny van de Beek at the club.
Here's a breakdown of our new signing's career to date, and what he will bring to the Reds...
Malacia signs for United
ArticleTyrell Malacia has completed his move from Feyenoord to Old Trafford.
CLUB CAREER
Malacia joined Feyenoord’s youth system aged nine and progressed through the Dutch side's ranks over the years that followed.
In December 2015, the left-back was awarded his first professional contract with the club before making his first mark on the senior team two years later.
The Dutchman's debut came on 6 December 2017, when he played the full 90 minutes of Feyenoord’s 2-1 win over Napoli in the Champions League, and exactly a week later, Tyrell made his Eredivisie bow, in a 1-1 draw with SC Heerenveen.
2018 was a good year for Malacia, as he was a part of the squad – albeit as an unused substitute – for both Feyenoord’s KNVB Cup final win over AZ Alkmaar and their Johann Cruyff Shield triumph against PSV.
The flying left-back’s first senior goal came in the calendar year too, notching in Feyenoord’s 5-3 victory at Heerenveen - a match in which former United striker Robin van Persie also scored for the away side.
This was the first of the defender's three strikes in the 2018/19 campaign, and he took his overall total for Feyenoord to four with a 3-2 away winner at SC Cambuur-Leeuwarden last term.
The 2021/22 season was Malacia’s best statistical season as a professional in terms of goals and assists. The left-back scored once and assisted five times, as Feyenoord reached the final of the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League.
Despite the Dutch side losing to Roma in the final, Malacia played 88 minutes against the Italian side, and was also named in the tournament's Team of the Season.
Club statistics (all competitions)
2017/18: 14 apps, 0 goals, 0 assists
2018/19: 19 apps, 3 goals, 0 assists
2019/20: 20 apps, 0 goals, 4 assists
2020/21: 33 apps, 0 goals, 1 assist
2021/22: 50 apps, 1 goal, 5 assists
Overall: 136 apps, 4 goals, 10 assists
Must-see Malacia images
GalleryTake a look at these awesome snaps we captured at Carrington, as Tyrell clinched his United transfer.
INTERNATIONAL CAREER
Our new signing has made five senior appearances for the Netherlands to date, and provided the assist for Wout Weghorst’s injury-time winner in June's 2-1 Nations League victory against Wales.
Despite his affiliation with the Oranje, Malacia, due to his family ties, has been eligible to play for Curacao. In fact, the 22-year-old was named in the nation's preliminary squad for the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, prior to his first senior Netherlands call-up.
Malacia represented the Netherlands at every level from under-16s to under-21s before being named in the senior side for the first time ahead of three World Cup qualifiers that took place last September.
As was the case for his club career, it didn’t take Malacia long to make his mark on the international stage. The left-back made his debut against Montenegro on 4 September 2021, starting the match and assisting Cody Gakpo’s goal, the fourth of the contest, in an emphatic 4-0 win.
The defender also featured in international friendlies against Denmark and Germany in March 2022 and has established himself as a trusted and valuable member of Louis van Gaal’s side heading into this winter’s Qatar World Cup.
International statistics
2021-: 5 caps, 0 goals, 2 assists