Leny Yoro

Early life

Leny Jean-Luc Yoro was born on 13 November 2005 in Saint-Maurice, France and spent his first years in the suburbs of Paris. He is the son of Alain Yoro, a former footballer of Ivorian descent who played for Lille reserve team, and Flore Baugnies who is of Northern French ancestry. Yoro is named after Lenny Kravitz, one of his mother's favourite singers. He has three younger brothers: Roméo, Eden and Esteban, of which two play within Lille youth system.

At the age of five, he started playing football at Alfortville where he stayed one season before moving with his family in the Lille area. He then pursued his football learning in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, where he grew up after his parents separated, and finally joined Lille's youth system in 2017. Ten years later, at 15 years old, he got his start in the UEFA Youth League, coming off the bench in the 79th minute against Sevilla on 20 October 2021. He hence chose to wear the number 15 shirt when he then turned professional.