Anthony Elanga: Man Utd's teenage wing wizard aiming to follow in Greenwood's footsteps

The youngster went viral last month after a superb overhead kick against Chelsea and could be the next academy star to make the Red Devils first team

For young footballers making their way through the ranks, it can sometimes just take one moment of brilliance to ensure you are noticed.

Whether it is a pass that no others thought was on, an outrageous piece of skill or an audacious finish, there is always the chance that such a moment will catch the eye of the right onlooker, and in turn earn them a shot at the big time.

For Mason Greenwood, that moment came in December 2018.

As a 17-year-old, Greenwood's hat-trick inspired Manchester United to a 4-3 win over five-time defending champions Chelsea in the third round of the FA Youth Cup.

On what proved to be the night before Jose Mourinho was relieved of his duties at Old Trafford, Greenwood had shown that he was ready to take the next step in his career. Three months later, he was on the pitch as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side recorded a comeback win for the ages over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

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Greenwood, like Marcus Rashford before him, has become a shining example to all those currently plotting their way through the United academy system, and there is hope that the next breakthrough star is not far away from emerging.

One candidate is Anthony Elanga, who was well aware of the opportunity that was going to be afforded to him ahead of United's Youth Cup semi-final clash against Chelsea in late October.

"I am looking forward to showing everyone what I’m capable of," he said ahead of kick-off in a game that was set to be broadcasted to a national audience from England's training base at St George's Park.

And though, unlike Greenwood, he was not able to inspire United to victory over their rivals from west London, Elanga did not waste the opportunity when it came to showcasing his ability.

The 18-year-old quickly went viral after controlling a chipped ball into his path from Shola Shoretire before teeing himself up for an overhead kick that bounced back out off the crossbar during the 2-1 defeat.

Within minutes the Sweden youth international was trending just outside the top 20 topics on Twitter, and United are hopeful that is far from the last time he will be making such an impact on the club's supporters as he closes in on a first-team call-up.

Named last season's 'Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year' at United, Elanga was selected in Solskjaer's squad for their pre-season friendly with Aston Villa and has continued to impress in 2020-21.

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He has three goals and three assists to his name in eight appearances for the club's Under-23s so far this campaign, and is aware that there is a route to the senior ranks ahead of him following the successes of both Rashford and Greenwood.

"In training I'm always working hard and the way that I train is the way that I play,” Elanga tells Goal. "You can see that in the results and I'm just happy at the moment, I'm enjoying my football.

“You look at the likes of Mason and Rashy, there is a pathway there. It just shows you that if you're willing to put the work into it and continue to work hard day in, day out in training, there's a pathway for you there.

"Obviously we've got a manager in Ole who is trusting the youngsters, so there's a pathway there and I've just got to keep working hard."

As much as it was his close control that alerted some fans to his talent during that Youth Cup semi-final, it is his electric pace that has ensured Elanga has stood out among his peers.

It is a trait he gets from his father, Joseph, who enjoyed a 13-year career playing for clubs in Greece, Denmark and most notably Sweden, where he spent six seasons with Malmo across two spells.

“I remember watching him. He was a left-back. He was quick - but obviously I'm quicker!” Elanga recalls of his dad, who was capped 17 times by Cameroon.

"He was tough - and still is. After games he'll tell me what I've done well and what I can improve on, which is good.

"You need something like that to keep you going because you can't just relax on one game. You can always get better and better. It is an inspiration to have him around."

And while Joseph is certainly a good man to have in Elanga's corner in terms of ensuring he possesses the right mentality, his previous role as a defender means the youngster - who is also most comfortable playing off the left - has been forced to look elsewhere in terms of finding attacking inspiration.

"It has got to be Samuel Eto'o for me, or Thierry Henry,” Elanga says when asked about the players he has idolised as a youngster.

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"Obviously my dad used to play with him [Eto'o] and always said he was an example to look at, the way he was on the pitch.

"We play similar positions - he used to play left striker or right wing - and Thierry Henry used to do the same, so they are probably the two people that I used to look up to most growing up."

Having already had his technique compared to Arsenal legend Henry by former United star Gary Neville, it seems as if Elanga is certainly on the right track to emulating one of his heroes, as well as fellow teenager Greenwood.

That moment of brilliance in the Youth Cup may well prove to be the first of many to have United fans flocking to social media to watch again and again.