At the end of Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, boss Erik ten Hag went straight to 18-year-old Alejandro Garnacho and gave him a hug.
The Dutch manager is renowned for cultivating talent, and at Garnacho there is no doubt that he has an exceptional one on his hands.
The teenager marked his return after two months out with a brilliant 94th-minute finish at Old Trafford for conclude a victory that Manchester United had worked hard to put out of reach for Wolves.
It gave the home fans a big sigh of relief, rightly fearing their side would be punished for missing a host of chances as they looked largely toothless in the absence of their injured 16-goal striker Marcus Rashford.
The victory means Manchester United are four points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool, with just two wins from their last three games needed to cement the top four, and Ten Hag believes Garnacho can play an important role in ensuring that they achieve their goal.
“He’s done almost everything right and that will give him confidence and that’s good for the rest of the season,” the Manchester United boss said.
“He’s back, it will give him confidence and he can make an impact.”
Garnacho has enjoyed a stunning first full season at Manchester United since making his debut in April last year.
The teenager scored five goals but often made a telling impact coming off the bench. In January he came on in the second half against Manchester City and provided the assist for Rashford to score the winner in a 2-1 win.
His progress was halted by the ankle ligament injury he suffered in a draw with Southampton on March 12 which saw him miss United’s next 12 games.
But back on the bench on Saturday, home fans were begging for him to return to the pitch as they called his name long before Ten Hag turned on him in the 82nd minute.
Twelve minutes later those calls were justified as Garnacho charged into space before producing a superb finish inside the post.
“To play at Manchester United you have to be special, even more so at a young age,” midfielder Bruno Fernandes said of Garnacho.
“It’s really important to get him back. He can create, go one-on-one, score goals, create assists. It’s important for us.”
Ten Hag has now challenged Garnacho to stop being an Impact Sub.
This season, he has netted 10 goals, including five assists, but has only started four Premier League games so far.
“I hope he can progress so quickly that he can compete for a starting XI position because that is his next challenge,” added Ten Hag.
“He shows when you score winners – Fulham – the assist against City and now the second goal, he shows certain things.
“Also, sometimes he lacks defensive transition and pressing. He has to step up, when you get into action or keep the ball, so decisions. But when you see everywhere, he’s got huge talent and he’s brave. “
With three games of the season remaining and Champions League football within reach for Manchester United, Garnacho has no better opportunity to step up and show he is ready to make an impact from the start.
