Brighton and Hove Albion star Alexis Mac Allister has backed Alejandro Garnacho to represent Argentina in the future amid his senior call-up.
Garnacho starred once again for Manchester United during Wednesday's 3-1 FA Cup fifth round win over West Ham. The 18-year-old was handed a rare start as one of several changes made by Erik ten Hag and continually caused problems down the Hammers' right before handing his side a late lead with a wonderful goal.
Said Benrahma opened the scoring for David Moyes' side before a Nayef Aguerd own-goal looked to have sent the tie to extra-time. That was until a looping ball was controlled perfectly by Garnacho, the teenager setting himself before curling a wonderful strike into Alphonse Areola's far corner.
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That was the teenager's fourth goal of the season in all competitions, with four assists to match in what has been for the most part substitute appearances. Garnacho's 0.7 goal involvements per game is the second highest average at United for players who have played over 1000 minutes, and such form has not gone unnoticed by Argentinian compatriot Mac Allister.
“Hopefully he gets to play with the Argentina national team," Mac Allister told TyCSports. "I'm sure that Licha [Lisandro Martínez] is working on it.”
A youth international with both Spain and Argentina - his birthplace and nationality of his mother respectively - Garnacho sided with the Albiceleste at senior level and has just received a call up to the senior Argentina squad.
Speaking to Argentinian media, the Albiceleste boss Lionel Scaloni insisted he picks his squads on merit regardless of age.
"Everything is merit," Scaloni said. "We don't look at the card, we don't look at the age, we look at the merits. We can be wrong and people in some cases think that one is better than another, but we go to the merits and if you are 17 years old and very well and we believe that he has to be, he will be. And if he is thirty-odd and we think that he has to be, he will also be there."
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