Manchester United striker Alejandro Garnacho has hailed the dream of playing alongside hero Cristiano Ronaldo after making his full Red Devils' debut.
The 18-year-old Argentine youth international was handed a start by Erik ten Hag in the 3-0 Europa League victory over Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday evening. It was the first time that he had been named in the United starting XI having previously been handed five substitute appearances for the club.
Despite his tender years, the youngster caught the eye having regularly demanded the ball, whilst he also was an exciting attacking presence as the Red Devils secured what was a dominant victory.
Whilst Garnacho is currently at the start of his United career, the same cannot quite be said of Ronaldo. The 37-year-old is now in the twilight of his career but still managed to get on the scoresheet in the second half - his third goal of the season and his first at Old Trafford this term.
It appears that Garnacho has been left starstruck after being named in the starting XI alongside the Portuguese icon. He took to Twitter with an image of the pair during victory over Sheriff with the caption: "I don't know if it's real or if I'm dreaming."
The youngster's response to Ronaldo is certainly at odds with previous reports of the striker's position within the United squad. As per ESPN, the veteran forward's demand to leave Old Trafford in the summer was met with delight.
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It is detailed that a majority of his United teammates were 'joyful' at the news that he wanted to depart with some even labelling him as a 'pain in the a**' due to his extraordinarily high demands.
Interestingly enough, it already appears that United have found their successor for the Portuguese should he depart Old Trafford sooner rather than later.
Red Devils' icon Paul Scholes compared Garnacho to Ronaldo having witnessed his impressive performance against Sheriff. Speaking on BT Sport, the former midfielder said: "This crowd loves entertainment and he provided that tonight.
"He almost reminded me of a young Cristiano with his skill and taking the ball down with confidence. I was impressed with the way he could attack on both feet and the unpredictability."
He was eventually replaced late on as Dutchman Donny van de Beek also made his playing return in the 79th minute following a long spell out of the team due to injury. Garnacho will certainly be aiming to continue making an impact on the first team ahead of the World Cup.
The Red Devils are next back in action against West Ham on Sunday before they attempt to navigate their final Europa League group game against Real Sociedad. Ten Hag's men must win by two goals or more if they are to avoid a potentially tricky playoff tie to reach the next round.
