- Portuguese icon took in two spells with Red Devils
- Argentine teenager now catching the eye
- No.7 shirt up for grabs at Old Trafford
WHAT HAPPENED? Manchester United remain without a No.7 at present, after five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo was released in November 2022. That iconic jersey could soon be passed to Argentine starlet Garnacho, with the 18-year-old treading a similar path to the legendary Portuguese that he briefly played alongside. Kuszcak spent three years with Ronaldo at Old Trafford between 2006 and 2009 and claims to see similarities between the progress he made early on in his career and that being enjoyed by teenage star Garnacho.
WHAT THEY SAID: Kuszczak, speaking in association with freebets.com, told GOAL when asked if a fleet-footed winger in United’s current squad can be likened to all-time great Ronaldo: “Yes, Garnacho is a very dynamic player. It’s a good comparison. We see how far he’s going to go and how he’s going to become a leader in the team. This is important as well. He’s a young player but very exciting to watch with his way of playing, how he plays, he’s always on top, runs a lot, very impressive technique and a very young player.
“He looks a little bit like young Ronaldo at the time, when his strengths start to grow around the team and the team-mates helped him to grow. Ronaldo, when he joined United had fantastic players around him and he used this to become a star in the United squad. I’ve not seen Garnacho training so I can’t comment exactly how much he invests himself in training and how much football he leaves to compare that side of his game to Ronaldo, but obviously, if you watch both of them, you can tell there’s definitely potential for him to live up to the name Ronaldo made for himself at United.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Pressed on whether Garnacho would be a deserving recipient of the famous No.7 jersey at United, Kuszczak added: “Garnacho is doing very well, great season for him. He’s progressing well and it’s nice to just watch United playing these days. I really enjoy watching him and the team and you can see how this group of players is going to development over the next few seasons. He’s a talent to keep an eye on for sure.”
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Naomi Baker/Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT? Garnacho’s first full season as part of the senior squad at Old Trafford saw him register five goals and as many assists through 34 appearances in all competitions, with the youngster stating on a regular basis how he would like to follow in the footsteps of his boyhood hero Ronaldo.