Bruno Fernandes acts like a guardian when it comes to Alejandro Garnacho. He praises the youngster from time to time, but he doesn’t want his team-mate getting too excited about the hype that surrounds him.
It has been a fantastic breakthrough season for Garnacho. The 18-year-old has scored five goals for Erik ten Hag’s side and I don’t think he will be waiting long to make his debut for the senior Argentina side.
Garnacho had been out injured since March 12, but he returned to make a goalscoring substitute appearance against Wolves on Saturday. He made the bench as an unused substitute against West Ham a week prior to that.
Fernandes has seen the progress on the pitch, as well as maturity, when it comes to Garnacho. But the Portuguese player still demands more from the youngster.
“We know Garna can change games,” Fernandes said, as quoted by The Athletic. “He plays with pace, he can take players one against one, but he’s still developing, so we don’t have to push too much on him.
“Mentally he is being much better also and I think he understands what it takes to be a professional player. He is taking that and he is working a lot also in the gym with the coaches. He’s been doing amazingly for the first season he’s been playing in the Premier League, with more minutes, with more consistency, he’s doing great, but we all know he can do much for us.”
This United side has struggled for goals this season, so to have Garnacho back for the last 5 games (including the FA Cup final) is a much-needed boost.
Fernandes added: “We are really pleased for Garna, because it was a long time that he was out of competition. Obviously, for a young player, it’s never easy. But he’s back, he scored a goal and I hope he can score much more until the end of the season.”
He went on (via The Metro): “What I have to say to Garnacho, I tell him at the training ground, whenever we are eating, on the training ground or wherever,’ said the Portugal international.
“If he wants to hear, he hears. If not, he doesn’t but I try to help. I think he did an interview talking about me trying to help him a lot of times, and that’s what I’m trying to do.
“But, obviously, as I said, he’s still young, and I don’t want to give too much compliments because you know when you’re young, you get too many compliments, you can get a little bit relaxed and everything.
“We need this Alejandro coming on and making goals, making assists, getting back to recover balls – everything. But I think if he wasn’t doing what he needed to do, he wouldn’t be playing.”
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