The Manchester United fledglings were crowing amid the first celebrations Old Trafford had witnessed since Sir Alex Ferguson's final coronation day. Soon, there was a familiar birdsong.
"Viva Garnacho," the Stretford End chirped. Alejandro Garnacho, scorer of the winning goal in the FA Youth Cup final, was draped in an Argentina flag and clutching his smartphone. He heard the appreciation, turned and nonchalantly applauded.
That adoration is barely an achievement in Garnacho's annus mirabilis. In a year most teenagers turning 18 are studying for their A-levels, flying the nest for university or entering the working world, Garnacho has accomplished the following feats:
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Played with Ronaldo.
Trained with Messi.
Called up by Argentina.
Debuted for United.
Started for United.
Debuted for Argentina Under-20s.
Won the Youth Cup.
Fashion-conscious teenagers would be most impressed by the Nike sponsorship contract Garnacho secured in March. A hospitality experience at Chelsea is barely worthy of mention.
With inked arms and a penchant for satchels, Garnacho could be mistaken for an influencer in some of his Instagram posts. With so much hype swirling around the 18-year-old, you sense he believes it, too. United need to be mindful of that in a crucial developmental phase of a talent whose ascension in the last two years has been stratospheric.
Garnacho strolled towards the tunnel at full-time on Thursday evening with Cristiano Ronaldo's arm avuncularly resting on his young shoulders. "I don't know if it's real or if I'm dreaming," Garnacho Instagrammed close to midnight. In the press conference room, Erik ten Hag gave Garnacho a dosage of reality.
"I think it was a good performance from him," Ten Hag said. "He did what I expected him to do. First, he deserved a chance for the last weeks.
"The start was difficult for him in the season. I was not happy with him, but in the last weeks I was happy with him, a better attitude, more resilience, more determination.
"And what you see is he has the talent to deal with the ball in tight areas, to run behind and especially also his tempo dribbles, he can take players on and that's a good capability now in his football, especially against opponents who are defending as compact as this opponent.
"I am happy with that, I hope for him it's a stimulant and he knows I have to do better to get into the team, to create more and don't forget you are playing in a team.
"Young kids have to grow and to raise their personality. They have to know what the laws and demands are in football, top football, it's not only about the trick or about scoring one goal.
"We have to win football games, that demands a lot and then you have to fulfil every day the high standards, that is what we have to teach, not only him but we have to teach all the players, but especially the young players."
Ten Hag has embraced United's youth heritage steadily. Before the clocks have gone back, Charlie McNeill has become the 245th academy debutant, Garnacho earned his full debut, Kobbie Mainoo and Tyler Fredricson have made the bench, and there has been first-team training work experience for Radek Vitek, Daniel Gore, Sam Murray, Marc Jurado, Rhys Bennett and Isak Hansen-Aaroen. All bar Fredricson started against Nottingham Forest in the Youth Cup final in May.
Garnacho is the poster boy and his fan club occupied nearly a row of seats in the directors' box against FC Sheriff. Two donned 'Garnacho 49' shirts and one, believed to be Garnacho's brother, wept in his seat after filming his sibling's entrance in what may be the only occasion the Europa League theme has reduced anyone to tears.
One member of Garnacho's entourage happily greeted the United football director John Murtough. United have Garnacho under contract until 2025 and discussions over a renewal began five months ago.
'Garnacho 49' shirts were visible elsewhere. More shirt sales are inevitable after an unfazed performance in front of a junior crowd in half-term week. The sound of plastic seats clattering whenever Garnacho received the ball suggested he drew thousands off them. Whatever the era and however much the game has evolved, United supporters revere wingers.
United's academy has excelled at preparing whippersnapper wingers for men's football and Garnacho started ahead of luminaries Marcus Rashford and Anthony Elanga. His selection over Elanga is potentially significant, one that again distances Ten Hag from previous regimes.
Garnacho joined the United academy on the same date as McNeill in October 2020 - three days before Facundo Pellistri arrived in the first-team. Pellistri, already a Uruguay international, is still yet to get a kick for United.
Brexit hastened Garnacho's transfer at the age of 16. United dove into the Spanish talent pool to fish out Garnacho, Alvaro Fernandez and Marc Jurado from Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Barcelona before the withdrawal agreement's transition period ended. Sources now say it is practically impossible for English clubs to sign a 16-year-old from overseas.
All three have taken flight.
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