Alejandro Garnacho came on to make his Manchester United debut in the latter stages of Thursday's Premier League clash against Chelsea – and his family had the best view in the house as he replaced Anthony Elanga.
It has been a year to remember for the talented 17-year-old. Last month, he played a huge part in helping Manchester United reach a historic FA Youth Cup final after scoring in a 3-0 win against Wolves.
The highly-rated forward, who signed from Spanish side Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2020, was then handed a surprise call-up to Argentina's 44-man squad ahead of their World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Ecuador.
He trained with Lionel Messi and even posed for a picture alongside the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner after a training session.
Advert
Garnacho, who is eligible to play for La Albiceleste through his mother, then went back to Old Trafford and was thrust into first-team training alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
It has been a whirlwind journey for the youngster and on Thursday night, in the club's 1-1 draw against Chelsea, he was finally given his eagerly-anticipated first-team debut for United.
In the 90th minute, Garnacho came on and behind the dugout, his supportive family stood up and applauded the moment in an emotional scene. His dad couldn't hold back tears as the stadium announcer called out Alejandro's name.
Manchester United captain Harry Maguire, who is currently out through injury, went straight over to Garnacho's family at the final whistle to congratulate them, according to journalist Simon Peach.
Advert
Richard Arnold, United's executive vice-chairman, also went over to the family.
As mentioned earlier, it has been a breakthrough year for Garnacho. In February, United's U18 side beat Everton 4-1 in the FA Youth Cup and the highly-rated winger bagged the goal of the game.
After beating his opponent for pace before working his way into the area, the teenager beat Everton goalkeeper Patrick Nash with a cracking finish.
Then, in a nod to Cristiano Ronaldo, Garnacho performed the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's trademark 'Siu' celebration in front of those watching inside Old Trafford.
Featured Image Credit: @TeoCoquet/TwitterTopics: Manchester United, Chelsea, Premier League
