Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho paid special tribute to a young fan after finding the back of the net against Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday.
The former Borussia Dortmund star opened the scoring in the Red Devils' second group game against the Moldovan side with a great solo effort. His third goal of the season in all, it was the perfect way for Sancho to respond after being left out of the latest England squad by Gareth Southgate.
Whilst the goal was notable, the United wideman having only managed to score five goals throughout the entirety of the campaign last term following a big-money switch from Dortmund, it was his celebration that triggered a few raised eyebrows.
Sancho appeared to remove one of his shinpads and lifted it up towards the crowd. However, there is a special reason behind him doing so.
In a video shared on social media, the Red Devils' star was shown being mobbed by supporters in his car and duly obliged with autographs and a few words.
One particular fan went even further by presenting Sancho with a pair of shinpads adorned with his face. The child's father claimed that the equipment was a "present" and that he "would have to wear them in a game".
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The 22-year-old agreed and said that they would be his "new shin pads" before then thanking the young fan for his kind gift. He appears to have followed through on that promise too having donned them during Man Utd's trip to Moldova and of course showing them off after he had scored.
Sancho could well have got a second before the break but saw his effort cleared via a miraculous goal-line clearance. United, however, did get a second as Cristiano Ronaldo struck his first goal of the season from the penalty spot.
Sancho will no doubt be keen to continue his excellent Man Utd form in domestic action after the international break. The Red Devils' weekend game against Leeds United has been postponed so will now not play in the Premier League until their meeting with city rivals Manchester City in early October.
Ahead of facing his former side, the United winger has already pointed to his ambition of getting on the scorsheet with more regularity.
Speaking after scoring the winning goal against Leicester City earlier this month, Sancho said: “I want to score as many goals as possible, but I have to keep on trying every time I get those opportunities. Hopefully, I can score next time.”
