Erik ten Hag fires Cristiano Ronaldo warning to Alejandro Garnacho after Man Utd wondergoal

Erik ten Hag fires Cristiano Ronaldo warning to Alejandro Garnacho after Man Utd wondergoal

Alejandro Garnacho scored a magnificent bicycle kick as Manchester United beat Everton 2-0, with the goal being compared to similar strikes by Red Devils legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag believes Alejandro Garnacho could become one of the best players in the world, but urged caution after his stunning overhead kick against Everton earned comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

Garnacho scored United’s opener as they beat Everton 3-0 at Goodison Park, with the teenager producing a magnificent goal of the season contender. Naturally, the strike was compared to Rooney’s memorable bicycle kick goal against rivals Manchester City in 2011, while fellow United legend Ronaldo also scored a similar goal for Real Madrid against Juventus in 2018.

And after Garnacho scored his wonder goal, he also imitated Ronaldo’s ‘Siu’ and ‘I am here’ celebrations. However, Ten Hag has urged fans and pundits not to compare the 19-year-old to two of the club’s greatest ever players.

“Don’t compare, I don’t think it is right,” he said in his post-match press conference. “They all have their own identity, but for Garnacho to go that way he has a lot to come, he has to work very hard.

“You have to do it on a consistent basis and so far he has not. But he definitely has high potential to do some amazing things, it’s not the first time we saw this.

“We have already often seen glimpses, but if you want to be a player like Rooney or Ronaldo you have to score 20, 25 goals in the Premier League each season. That’s not easy to get, you have to work hard, you have to go in areas where it hurts.

“So a lot to come. But potential, he has it. It was a fantastic goal. In the season, there are still many games to play, but maybe already it is the goal of the season. Not only the finish, it was the back to the end but the finish was incredible.”

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Garnacho said of the goal: “I can’t believe it to be honest. I didn’t see how it went in. I just listened around I said: ‘oh my God.’ For me, one of the best goals I have ever scored.”

United captain Bruno Fernandes, meanwhile, added: “A goal like this has to silence the crowd. Everton fans were of course not really happy about it but I think they would enjoy seeing this kind of goal.

“It is amazing that football players can do this kind of thing. We are all proud of him and obviously I am very happy to have him on our side.”