Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes said Alejandro Garnacho had been watching “a lot of Cristiano Ronaldo videos” after the teenager’s stunning volley against Everton on Sunday.
Garnacho, 19, scored with an acrobatic overhead kick in a 3-0 win at Goodison Park, and Ronaldo celebrated with a “Siuuu” sign.
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Ronaldo scored a stunning overhead kick for Real Madrid against Juventus in 2018, and Fernandes hinted that Jarnacho was inspired by the Portugal legend.
“It’s amazing, something out of this world, I think,” Fernandez said. “He probably watches a lot of Cristiano! We all know he’s a huge fan.”
Garnacho is still finding his feet at Old Trafford after his impressive season last year, and has challenged the young Fernandes to emulate more than just Ronaldo’s overhead kicking style.
The United captain added: “He still has a long way to go to become like Cristiano, but he is following in his footsteps.”
He added: “He wants to be something special in the world of football and I think he has the ability to do that, but he has to do more than this goal.”
The win over Everton – United’s biggest win in the Premier League so far this season – was the perfect preparation ahead of a tough Champions League trip to Galatasaray on Wednesday.
It has been a disappointing start for Erik Ten Hag’s side, who lost three of their four matches in Group A, but Fernandes insists they are prepared for what could be a hostile atmosphere in Istanbul.
“Confidence levels are always high because you play in such a big club,” he said.
“Your confidence has to be high every time because you know the expectations from this club, the expectations from yourself, the expectations from your teammates.
“So, everyone in the locker room knows we have great players, we have a great team that can achieve great things. We just have to step up.”