Marcos Rojo may be enjoying life in his native Argentina after a disastrous spell with Manchester United, but the defender was left red-faced after celebrating his late strike — only to see his team Boca Juniors concede seconds later.
Boca had taken the lead through Lucas Vazquez in the 34th minute before they were pegged back on the hour mark by Sebastian Lomanoco. With the Argentine giants heading for a 1-1 draw with Arsenal de Sarandi, the hosts won a late penalty with a chance to snatch all three points on 74 minutes.
Rojo stepped up and converted with ice in his veins, unleashing a fiercely passionate celebration in front of La Bombonera’s faithful. A win would have put Boca top of Group B in the Argentinian Primeira Division after winning five of their first seven matches.
But his joy was short-lived when just 20 seconds later, Boca paid the price for some shoddy defending. A ball was crossed in from the left flank and Rojo was left wanting as Cristian Colman stole in ahead to strike home and silence the home crowd. And his latest defensive howler will come as no surprise to Man United fans considering how his stint in the Premier League ended.
The centre-back joined the Red Devils in 2014 for £16million from Sporting Lisbon after being signed by Louis van Gaal. However, Rojo struggled to adapt to life in England and, with a spate of injuries and a lack of form, spent most of his time on the bench.
Rojo managed only 76 league appearances during his six-and-a-half-year stay in England and was often used as a backup for the first-team. The defender had been frozen out under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and was allowed to leave initially on loan to join Estudiantes.
Have Your Say! Where does Marcos Rojo rank amongst Manchester United's worst signings? Comment below.
After enjoying his spell back in Argentina, United granted him a free transfer to end his five-year spell in England in February 2021. His final appearance for United came all the way back in November 2019 — meaning he spent 14 months without making a single appearance while still earning his full salary.
It appears the 32-year-old is more content with life after returning to his native land with Boca, even if the club missed out on the title last season to arch rivals River Plate. He recently marked the one-year anniversary of his signing with the club with a social media post.
He posted on Instagram : “A day like today but a year ago I arrived at @bocajrsoficial Personally, I assumed a huge challenge, knowing the responsibility and commitment that wearing these colors meant! Today I can say that I made the right decision… And there are still many more to come!”
