Erik ten Hag praises Manchester United wonderkid Alejandro Garnacho’s performance against Rayo Vallecano and reveals how 18-year-old has earned his first-team chance after he ‘showed himself during pre-season’
- Erik ten Hag praised Alejandro Garnacho after friendly against Rayo Vallecano
- The 18-year-old started and impressed as Manchester United were held to a draw
- Garnacho made his first-team debut for the club against Chelsea last season
- Ten Hag says his team is ready for their Premier League opener against Brighton
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag heaped praise on Alejandro Garnacho following Sunday’s game against Rayo Vallecano.
The 18-year-old winger started and played for 70 minutes as the Red Devils were held to a 1-1 draw by the LaLiga side after Alvaro Garcia Rivera cancelled out Amad Diallo’s opener.
Ethan Laird, James Garner and Tahith Chong were among the other youngsters who were given a chance and Ten Hag was left impressed, especially with Garnacho.
Youngster Alejandro Garnacho played for 70 minutes as Man United drew with Rayo Vallecano
He told MUTV: ‘We want to give the young players who deserve a chance the opportunity to play. He [Garnacho] showed himself during pre-season and that’s why he played.
‘He played pretty well and his performance was really good.’
Garnacho has been tipped as the next academy graduate to make a name for himself at Old Trafford after impressing for the Under-18s last season.
Manaager Erik ten Hag has been left impressed with what he saw from the 18-year-old
He scored twice as United lifted the FA Youth Cup following a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest in May.
Garnacho joined the club from Atletico Madrid in 2020 before signing a professional deal with the club last summer. The Argentinian made his United debut during a 1-1 draw against Chelsea in May.
Meanwhile, Ten Hag has been left satisfied with what he saw from his team during pre-season as he insisted his team is ready for Sunday’s Premier League opener against Brighton.
Garnacho has been tipped as the next next academy graduate to make a name for himself
‘Overall, definitely [happy with pre-season], I think we make a good pre-season and we make good progress. We are ready for the season, but I know there is still a lot of room for improvement and we have to improve,’ Ten Hag said.
‘That is also a process that continues in the season, but for next week it’s about the result as well. It [team selection] was a mixture of experience and youth, some guys met each other for the first time today, so what can you expect?
‘You saw the attitude was great, they fought and worked for each other and it was positive. We created a lot of chances, okay, we also conceded chances, but I think we have to be satisfied with the performance.’
