Alejandro Garnacho showcased his admiration for his ‘idol’ Cristiano Ronaldo earlier this week by opting to don an Al Nassr jersey while engaging in a casual game with his brother.
The 19-year-old forward, who has garnered a significant fan following at Manchester United ever since he earned his inaugural senior start in October, nurtured a deep reverence for his former teammate Ronaldo during his formative years.
In fact, following United’s triumph over Sheriff Tiraspol in the previous season’s Europa League, the Argentine forward returned to the Old Trafford pitch solely for the purpose of walking down the tunnel alongside his idol.
Shortly after the final whistle Garnacho posted a picture of himself and Ronaldo having a chat on the Old Trafford pitch alongside the caption: “I don’t know if it’s real or if I’m dreaming”.
Paul Scholes would later liken Garnacho to a young Cristiano Ronaldo. “He was exceptional, he had real quality,” he told BT Sport. “The thing I liked about him: he was direct, he ran at defenders all the time.
“This club loves entertainers. He was like a young Cristiano, taking the ball down. I was impressed.”
I don’t know if it’s real or if I’m dreaming pic.twitter.com/3GR80nObqU
— Alejandro Garnacho (@agarnacho7) October 27, 2022
Months before that game, the teenager expressed his admiration for then-United teammate Ronaldo, who handed over the match ball to Garnacho after scoring a hat-trick against Norwich.
Garnacho took to Instagram after the match to post a picture of himself and Ronaldo, alongside the caption: “Greatest of all times”.
Manchester City and Argentina icon Sergio Aguero immediately responded to Garnacho’s post, commenting: “Because you still didn’t play with the best pa @leomessi.”
But the teenager, who joined United from Atletico Madrid in 2020 aged 16, continues to showcase his appreciation for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
As you can see in the footage below, Garnacho can be seen performing kick-ups with his younger brother Roberto, who was enrolled on United’s emerging talent programme.
Roberto is, however, expected to sign with an academy of a different club this summer, according toThe Athletic.
Alejandro Garnacho repping the Ronaldo Al-Nassr shirt 👊
(via @garnakjcc)pic.twitter.com/wWMJPOrH9e
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 15, 2023
Garnacho’s decision to wear an Al Nassr shirt with Ronaldo’s name on the back picked up plenty of reaction on social media.
One fan said: “He really is his biggest fan,” while another commented: “Garnacho with a Ronaldo Al Nassr Shirt. He’s such a fanboy.”
A third wrote: “Garnacho doesn’t hide who his GOAT is… Despite being Argentinian the young star reps a Ronaldo Al Nassr shirt while kicking ball with his brother!”
A fourth added: “Alejandro Garnacho wearing CR7 Al Nassr shirt. This is all you need to know that this guy is going straight to the very top.”