Wigan Warriors star Junior Nsemba asking Man Utd ace for advice ahead of Super League season – despite rift with family

NOT everybody would be looking to a Manchester United player for advice at the moment.

But Wigan forward Junior Nsemba has been taking counsel from Red Devils No1 Andre Onana – despite the Warriors star’s uncle Rigobert Song dropping the keeper when he was Cameroon boss.

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Junior Nsemba (right) won the Quad with Wigan last season – including the Challenge Cup and the World Club Challenge (below)[/caption]

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Nsemba with another of his trophies[/caption]

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Nsemba has Cameroonian roots and sought out Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana for advice[/caption]

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Onana and Nsemba met up at a Wigan Warriors training session[/caption]

Nsemba was the Super League smash hit of 2024, going from unknown to main man of the Quad-winning Warriors.

The 20-year-old may be born and bred in Wigan but his roots are firmly in Cameroon.

And when United stars came to training with Warriors recently, there was only one he gravitated towards – Cameroonian Onana, another bloke who is decent with his hands.

Nsemba said: “I spoke to him a lot.

“He’s a very respectful guy and he knows how to use his words.

“It wasn’t favouritism with me coming from Cameroon – we both hail from Yaounde – but he gave me advice about what to do with my life and how I should approach going back to Cameroon.

“He was very helpful. He’s top of his sport and having a conversation was special and he was intrigued about rugby as he didn’t know what it was.

“When he saw us hitting the pads and other players, he was shocked. He was saying he’d get put in hospital.

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“And I’ve got a way of talking to him. Hopefully, we’ll see him in future.”

Wigan begin their Treble defence – there is no World Club Challenge this year – with Thursday’s season opener against Leigh.

But in two weeks, the Warriors will swap Standish for the Strip as they head to Las Vegas to face Warrington.

For Nsemba, though, that may mean a quiet week while his older team-mates, above the legal age for drinking in the US, can sample Sin City.

He added: “I’ll drink Fruit Shoot and play chess – I can’t do anything else, can I?

“I’m still a young pup, so I won’t be stepping out of the hotel if I don’t really need to.

“And the fact I’m underage has been mentioned a lot. I’ve heard they’re really keen on checking if people are old enough.

I’ll drink Fruit Shoot and play chess – I can’t do anything else, can I?

JUNIOR NSEMBA ON GOING TO LAS VEGAS

“I’m trying to ignore it until it comes and see what I can do. For now, I’m trying to block it out!”

They might not recognise Nsemba in the USA, but he is turning heads in the North West of England after his stellar year.

He is very much in demand – even when he goes to the supermarket.

Nsemba said: “When I’ve been in Asda, I’ve seen the same guy three times.

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Wigan will play Warrington in Las Vegas in March[/caption]

“I’ve had a couple of conversations with him and that’s good. It’s nice I’m being recognised and it puts a smile on my face knowing the community is recognising me.

“And I’m not going to be fake. If fast food is on top of my trolley, I’ll keep it there – if Matt (Wigan boss Matt Peet) or someone walks through, I may need to hide it!

“Hide the burgers!”