It’s safe to say Alejandro Garnacho impressed on his full Manchester United debut. The teenager was handed his first senior start by Erik ten Hag in Thursday’s 3-0 win over Sheriff Tiraspol.
He produced a bright and energetic performance before being taken off on 78 minutes. He received rapturous applause from the four stands of Old Trafford upon his exit and was congratulated for his display by Cristiano Ronaldo at full-time.
Garnacho has been training with the senior squad this season after being a part of the squad that travelled to Thailand and Australia during their pre-season tour. Many fans hope to see him get more minutes going forward, having now tallied six appearances for the club.
READ MORE: Manchester United progressing with talks over new contract for Alejandro Garnacho
While supporters praised the 18-year-old, many current and former United icons were also impressed. Here is what was said about Garnacho following his performance on Thursday.
Erik ten Hag
"I think it was a good performance from him. He did what I expected him to do. First, he deserved a chance for the last few 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."
Paul Scholes
“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 is an 18-year-old kid and he has a big future at Manchester United.”
Owen Hargreaves
“The thing I liked about this performance was that he was direct, showed nice pieces of skill and tricks that had a little bit of function, he was just missing a goal or an assist. He was the most effective of all the front players, and I really enjoyed watching him.”
Lisandro Martinez, on Instagram
“Keep working brother! Congratulations.”
READ NEXT:
