Alejandro Garnacho has revealed he studies his opponents from the bench - just like his ex-boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer used to do.
Garnacho, 18, is enjoying a breakthrough campaign at Manchester United. He's scored two goals in eight appearances under Erik ten Hag, including a last-minute winner against Fulham in their final Premier League game before the World Cup in Qatar started.
The Argentina youth international's impressive form recently saw him named as United's Player of the Month for November. Red Devils fans are keen to know the secrets behind his success - and it turns out he's learnt a priceless lesson from former manager Solskjaer.
"[You have to be ready] to go on and give everything," Garnacho told United's website while discussing his winner against Fulham. "At home I always study the full-backs and during the game itself; during the time I’m sitting on the bench.
"So I can then go on and know where and how I need to be looking to go past them. I analyse games and also opponents when I’m about to come up against them, so that I’ve got some background on each player to be ready for the game."
And that's exactly what Solskjaer used to do. Younger fans will remember the Norwegian for his trophy-less three-year spell in charge of United, which saw them finish second in the Premier League and lose the Europa League final during the 2020/21 campaign.
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Yet Solskjaer was a prolific forward during his playing days - scoring 126 goals for United to help them win 12 trophies. Older Red Devils fans will always remember his winner in the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou.
''I probably didn’t analyse the whole game," said Solskjaer in December 2018. "I had to think about myself, how can I do the most damage for the opposition if I come on? I sat there and I studied football games but I didn’t exactly analyse their strikers."
Although Garnacho has emerged under Ten Hag, his first United manager was Solskjaer. The teenager was signed from Atletico Madrid's academy in October 2020 and has made a huge impact at Old Trafford after leading the U18s to success last season.
Garnacho scored a brace to help United beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 in the FA Youth Cup final last term. That competition is special to the Manchester club, as they've won it a record 11 times and used it to launch the careers of many superstars over the years.
The likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Bobby Charlton, George Best and Paul Pogba have all won the Youth Cup. Garnacho also played a starring role throughout last season's tournament and was named as United's Young Player of the Year for his efforts.
On his winner against Fulham, Garnacho added: "For the Fulham goal, I’d been keen to come on and we were drawing one each at the time. The situation in the game was just right for the counterattack, and for running at people, which is what I like to do."
