When a team goes through a rough patch, fans often look for positives to hold onto, and for Rio Ferdinand with Manchester United, that positive is Leny Yoro.
The former defender has urged head coach Michael Carrick to find a way to play the Frenchman from the start on every game, going forward.
Ferdinand's advice to Carrick comes after the Red Devils played out a 1-1 draw against Leeds United in their Premier League meeting at Elland Road on Sunday.
Yoro was on the pitch for the entirety of the game, as he made a third successive start for his club.
Rio Ferdinand issues Leny Yoro plea to Carrick
Premier League icon Ferdinand spoke about former Lille man Yoro on his Rio Reacts platform after his performance against Leeds United.
Ferdinand argued that the 20-year-old has found his best form, and should continue to start for the team going forward.
He pointed to Yoro's willingness to defend as a key factor in his evaluation of the young Frenchman.
"Leny Yoro, especially in the first half, defending the back post was top draw. He looks like he's growing in confidence. I think Leny Yoro needs a run in the team now.
I don't know what position he'll make his own first, but he'll go 'I have to be in this team '. I think if he continues playing in the way that he is, and continues to get games, I don't care who gets back fit now, I think Leny Yoro just needs to stay in the team, prove his worth, prove his value to this team because I think every week, he's getting stronger now.
In Madrid, I thought he looked solid, the game before that for France he was outstanding at centre-back under Zidane and he's come back with a newfound confidence and I think that's good for Man United.
But the way he defended the crosses at the back post, and again them away games where you get crosses coming in the box and you're put under pressure, you've got to have people that are willing to put their bodies there, get into good positions, head the ball et cetera, and I thought today he was a class act in that sense," he said.
Yoro featured from the start of a second successive Premier League game at right-back, with Carrick choosing to stick with Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire at centre-back.
The France international is in his third season with the Red Devils and has yet to earn a regular starting berth since his arrival at the club.
Expressing absolute faith in Yoro's trajectory, Ferdinand insisted that regardless of senior defensive competition returning from injury, Yoro must remain a non-negotiable fixture in Carrick's starting XI.
Building confidence: From international stardom to Old Trafford pillar
Yoro had been used sparingly by Carrick in the opening month of the 2026-27 season, when things changed for him in September.
An injury to Ibrahima Konate opened up a slot for him in the French national team, and coach Zinedine Zidane invited him to his first senior camp as a replacement for the Real Madrid man.
Another fitness scare for Jeremy Jacquet created room for Yoro to make his senior debut for France, and he impressed in their UEFA Nations League meeting with Belgium.
Since the international break, he has started in every game for Man United, and his performance at Elland Road reflects a broader surge in momentum for the former Lille prodigy.
He has rapidly settled into United's defensive shape, and his athletic recovery pace, aerial timing, and composure on the ball make him an indispensable foundation for Man United's backline moving forward.
