“When I was like 18, playing for Lille – Lille have good fans, but not all over the world.
“And when this [increase in attention] happened at the beginning, you’re a bit shocked, you know, because that’s crazy.”
Such a huge step in a young career cannot be taken alone. Leny came to England with the help of both his girlfriend and his cousin, but soon found support here in Manchester through his new team-mates.
The 20-year-old mentioned French speakers Hannibal [Mejbri] and Amad as crucial in those early days, but highlighted his friendship with Kobbie Mainoo as crucial to settling in.