Erik ten Hag waxed lyrical about Alejandro Garnacho following the Manchester United wonderkid's sensational winning goal against Fulham, praising his change of attitude.
The 18-year-old forward, who registered two assists on Thursday as the Red Devils beat Aston Villa 4-2 in the EFL Cup, sent United into the World Cup break with a dramatic 2-1 win at Craven Cottage thanks to his 93rd-minute strike. It was Garnacho's first Premier League goal and illustrated how he's now turned his attitude around after Ten Hag punished him earlier in the season.
The Red Devils boss was asked by Sky Sports whether the Spanish-born starlet's level of "arrogance" makes Garnacho the special talent he is, to which Ten Hag replied: "It's a big skill he has, it is always to find the balance but that skill you need definitely in the top. He came in, make a big impact as he did on Thursday, so well done."
The Dutchman added to BBC Sport : "[Him scoring] is fantastic. First, he shows the mentality you need. Under stress he's performing, he's coming in, he has an impact, he has the belief. Twice in three, four days, so that is really good.
"I'm really happy that we can bring a young player up and it shows that when players deserve it they get their chances. That is the first one but we have to bring more. He's great. I like that he has a big belief and that's great to work with. He likes football. He's a real pleasure."
Bruno Fernandes, who set up Christian Eriksen's opening goal, also lauded Garnacho for his performance, declaring to Sky Sports: "He has a lot of talent and his work rate together with the talent makes a big difference with us from the bench. It's not the first time he makes a big impact for us. We are really happy for him and know he can give us goals, assists and prove the joy of football.
"I think everyone is seeing signs that [he can go all the way]. Not because of his goals and assists but the way he comes into the game. Nobody likes to be on the bench so the attitude he has when he comes off has been fantastic. He deserves the chances he's been having and he's got his rewards. That's what football's about."
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On the victory itself, Ten Hag was only pleased with part of United's display in west London. "I think in the first half we played quite well and I think we had to score more goals. The difference between us and Fulham had to be bigger after the first half," he affirmed.
"We were only 1-0 up and then a great chance after half-time. And then you see that two halves are never the same and the game changes. Fulham get better and better and more dominant, create chances and get the equaliser. The last 10 minutes were then ours.
"I'm really happy with the resilience we have. Also the composure you can bring in the game then. The winning has to do with the belief that you can always score. I'm really happy that a sub came in once again - it's not only 11 players, you need a squad to win trophies and that is what we want."
