Alejandro Garnacho marked his first start in a Red Devils shirt with a brilliantly taken goal against Real Sociedad back in 2022; rifling home a finish from a Cristiano Ronaldo assist in what increasingly feels like a passing-of-the-baton moment between one former Manchester United superstar and the next one.
On Argentina duty, however, the twinkle-toed winger has had to wait to really make his mark.
After couple of eye-catching cameo appearances off the bench, and after featuring only once during the Albiceleste’s Copa America-winning campaign this summer, Thursday’s 3-0 hammering of Chile felt like a coming-of-age moment in Garnacho’s international career.
Landmark moment for Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho
The retirement of veteran Angel di Maria has opened the door for Garnacho to stake his claim for a starting berth.
And the Madrid-born 20-year-old did his chances no harm at all with a first Argentina assist at the seventh attempt.
Most of the credit will go to Paolo Dybala – Garnacho rolling the ball square in the penalty area before the Roma ace lashed home on the angle – but another fizzing dispaly off the bench certainly did not go unnoticed by Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni.
“The national team needs no one to relax, for there to be a stimulus. We didn’t have Leo (Messi), Angel won’t be there, and we need to see players who can come in,” Scaloni tells La Nacion, also handing in-form Lazio striker Taty Castellanos his first start.
“Alejandro came in and did everything well. (But) we need to take it slowly, calmly, like with the younger players.”
“When we saw that the game was over and (the win) was heading towards our side,” the former West Ham defender adds, via TYC Sports on YouTube, explaining why he decided to give Garnacho a run out in the dying stages.
“And he did what he did, which was very good.”
A first ever Argentina assist
Having turned 20 in July, this feels like a big season in Garnacho’s young career.
While the emergence of Amad Diallo keeping him out of Erik ten Hag’s starting XI for much of the current campaign, Garnacho’s ever-improving end-product has earned him the admiration of numerous United legends, from Roy Keane to Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs.
“(He does) what all the really good players do,” Keane told ITV Sport (10 August, 5.30pm) after Garnacho rose from the bench to score a superb solo goal against Manchester City in the Community Shield.
His second Wembley strike against Pep Guardiola’s team in a matter of months.
“The really, really good players impact the game. And every time he is on the pitch, he impacts it,” added the former Man United captain.
“When he comes onto the pitch, I kind of expect that of him now. You know he was going to create something.”
Scaloni, it seems, feels similarly about a man who, every time he steps onto the pitch, displays the thrust, the dynamism and the creativity Manchester United’s most iconic widemen were famed for.
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