Wout Weghorst proved he is a man of his word with a well-taken goal to open his Manchester United account in Wednesday night's EFL Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
The striker, 30, powerfully found the back of the net with the outside of his boot after reacting fastest to Wayne Hennessey's save to deny Antony. Weghorst moved to Old Trafford on loan from Burnley in mid-January to provide Erik ten Hag with another option up front.
The Dutchman did not make the impact he hoped for in his first two appearances, failing to find the back of the net in a Premier League draw with Crystal Palace and defeat by Arsenal. However, he hit form at the City Ground to double United's lead in their semi-final first leg after Marcus Rashford opened the scoring.
Weghorst is a towering presence who stands at 6'6" and showcased his ability to link the play throughout the first half. But he knows that a striker will ultimately be judged on the number of goals they score, so he will be pleased to have lived up to his confident pre-match pledge to start firing in a United shirt.
"As a striker, you are judged by goals," Weghorst told Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad, adding: "If I start missing big chances, then I have to start worrying. But I'm confident I can do it and I'll be fine. The coach saw that I was ready."
Weghorst explained that he has never doubted his ability to make an impact in front of goal, despite the fact he struggled for the Clarets during the second half of last season. Many fans raised eyebrows at United signing the target man, but he proved his quality in December with a quick-fire double for Netherlands against Argentina at the World Cup.
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"It is fantastic to be here," Weghorst added of his move to Old Trafford. "The atmosphere, the away fans, the game that waves up and down. Wonderful. I've been here for over a week now. It's going well."
Weghorst, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Turkish giants Besiktas, made no secret of his desire to stay on at United, but acknowledged that will only happen if he can prove his worth with goals and assists. There is no option to buy included in the six-month loan deal the Red Devils struck with Burnley.
United are expected to splash the cash on a new centre-forward in the summer, with Tottenham's Harry Kane and Napoli's Victor Osimhen among the players on their radar. It will take something special from Weghorst during the second half of the season to convince United that he is their long-term solution at No.9.
