When discussing one Manchester United forward, comparisons with a young Cristiano Ronaldo are never too far away.
But Old Trafford legend Rio Ferdinand feels that there is another Portuguese winger who makes a more fitting comparison when discussing the virtues of Alejandro Garnacho.
Nani, seven or eight times out of ten, would scuff his cross straight into the ankles of the nearest full-back. As he lined up a shot from range, the Manchester United supporters in unison would take cover behind a sea of hands.
But, on those other two or three occasions, Nani picked out a teammate with a delivery to make David Beckham proud. He would send the opposition net flying into the lower atmosphere with a heat-seeking missile of a shot from 25 yards.
Garnacho might never develop the kind of brutal consistency embodied by his idol Ronaldo.
But, after a week in which the Argentine’s role in the Red Devils plans has been questioned like never before, the manner in which Garnacho capped Man United’s 3-0 win over Leicester City with a sublime curling finish had Ferdinand reminiscing of Nani’s early years under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Rio Ferdinand likens Alejandro Garnacho to Manchester United icon Nani
“I’ve got a stat here,” Ferdinand begins. “None of these players have more goals and assists this season than Garnacho; [Bukayo] Saka, [Ousmane] Dembele, [Kylian] Mbappe, [Rafael] Leao, Nico Williams, Michael Olise, Phil Foden…
“He is a trier. He gives you everything he’s got!
“He reminds me of Nani in that sense. Nani didn’t always pick the right decision. Nani didn’t always execute at the end of it, but one thing he never lacked was balls! [He would say]; ‘Give me it again!’.
“I will tell you one thing; the amount of players that had ability but made a mistake on the big stage and went into their shell or took the easy option, there’s loads of them. There are not many who [say]; ‘Give it to me again. I lost it three times but give it to me again’.”
“There are other of players who have more ability than [Garnacho]. But they will not have the character and the perseverance to elevate themselves.”
Owen Hargreaves says Garnacho can be ‘a superstar’
Lest we forget, it is only two years since Garnacho burst onto the stage with a debut winner away at Real Sociedad in the Europa League. That, in itself, is emblematic of the Madrid-born 20-year-old.
Call it a sign of things to come.
Garnacho, right from day one, has displayed a rare confidence and a brazen willingness to shoulder the burden of expectation at arguably football’s most high-pressure institution. It is that innate, almost unshakeable self-belief – albeit tested amid a difficult few days – which has seen Garnacho step up when Man United have needed a hero on numerous occasions since late-2022.
See those last-gasp winners against Fulham and West Ham. That equaliser against Brentford only a few weeks aback. Those decisive strikes against Wolves, Leeds and, most famously of all, Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
Aura, thy name is Alejandro.
There is a reason why so many hard-to-please United legends are huge admirers of Garnacho, Roy Keane among them.
“He’s got a personality,” says Owen Hargreaves, part of Man United’s 2008 Champions League winning squad alongside Ronaldo and Nani. “He can be a superstar because of that. I think he has a personality designed to be a star.
“[Garnacho must] work, keep pushing, grafting…”
With seven goals this term, Garnacho is Man United’s top scorer. A tally of 11 goals or assists in 18 games, meanwhile, ensures he is just four away from matching his contributions from the whole of 2023/24.
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