Man United boss Erik ten Hag reveals what he told Alejandro Garnacho before West Ham match

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has opened up on what he told teenage sensation Alejandro Garnacho before his side’s FA Cup win over West Ham.

The Red Devils came from behind on Wednesday evening to secure a 3-1 victory over the Hammers in the fifth round of the FA Cup at Old Trafford.

United will now face fellow Premier League club Fulham in the FA Cup quarter-finals, with the clash to be played at Old Trafford on 18th March.

Said Benrahma fired West Ham into the lead against United in the second half before the Red Devils pulled themselves level after Nayef Aguerd headed the ball into the back of his own net.

Garnacho’s stunning strike in the 90th minute put United 2-1 up against West Ham before Fred ensured his side’s victory in injury time with the Red Devils’ third of the match.

Speaking after the fifth-round FA Cup encounter, Ten Hag revealed that he told Garnacho to seize the opportunity after starting for United against West Ham.

“I saw today another step from him,” he said.

“I told him before the game, ‘You have an impact when you come on, but now you need to have impact as a starter.’ I think he’s capable of it and that’s the next step he needs to take.”

Garnacho, who is under contract until 2024, burst onto the scene under Ten Hag and has impressed during his time with the United first team.

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United are keen for the 18-year-old Spanish-born winger to commit his long-term future to the club and are reportedly in advanced talks over a new deal.

Ten Hag praised Garnacho for his heroics against West Ham and spotlighted the United starlet’s courage as one of his biggest strengths.

“That is one of his skills. It’s a great skill when you’re fearless, when you’re brave,” he said.

“He’s one of the players that I think has a skill that is so specific. There are not many players in world football you take players on, who are capable of just going at players and out-dribbling them.”

Topics: Alejandro Garnacho, Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag, West Ham United, FA Cup, England, Football

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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