Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho has been compared to a young Cristiano Ronaldo by former teammate Paul Scholes, while Lisandro Martinez believes the teenager’s talent has no limits. Manager Erik ten Hag also praised Garnacho’s dribbling skills after his impressive performance in the FA Cup. Despite being one of United’s brightest young stars, there was a time when Garnacho’s attitude threatened to overshadow his ability. As Atletico Madrid’s hottest rookie and biggest rebel, the club moved one of their top youth coaches, Jesus Adolfo Marcos, to a younger age group to ensure Garnacho stayed on the straight and narrow.
Marcos revealed that Garnacho was a “street boy” from a suburb of Getafe who struggled with being a good student. He was smarter than the other boys but became problematic by sneaking food into his room, hiding his phone, and breaking rules. When Garnacho played his first game under Marcos, he was taken off after just ten minutes due to his attitude problem. However, this was a turning point for the Madrid-born attacker, who reacted with maturity and worked hard all week. Marcos also tested Garnacho’s temperament by putting him up against a hard defender in training sessions, which helped him become unbeatable and different from the rest of his generation.
Despite Atletico Madrid’s attempts to keep him, United signed Garnacho in 2020, and he has already made 27 appearances and scored four goals in his breakthrough season. Marcos believes that Ten Hag is the best coach for Garnacho and that if he stays fit, fresh, and looks after himself, he will be a massive player for United.