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Manchester United starlet Alejandro Garnacho made his Argentina debut against Australia. La Albiceleste won the friendly clash 2-0 in Beijing, with Garnacho coming on as a substitute.
Emiliano Martinez, who played a starring role in Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup win in Qatar, wished Garnacho upon his debut. The Aston Villa shot-stopper wrote on Instagram:
“Congrats on the debut @agarnacho7”
The Manchester United attacker came on as a 74th-minute substitute against the Socceroos. He completed four passes and won one ground duel during his cameo appearance.
Garnacho is one of the finest up-and-coming talents in world football. The youngster is expected to be an integral part of La Albiceleste in the next decade or so
Manager Lionel Scaloni reflected on Alejandro Garnacho's performance:
“We have to go step by step. We gave him the minutes to find his feet. We don’t have to rush. There are players of high level who did not play today, but we are excited like the rest of the team.
"The idea is to give minutes to all the players so that they can start to adapt without forgetting those who are already in the team. We are excited with Garnacho and with all of the rest.”
Garnacho is expected to get more minutes in La Albiceleste's next friendly against Indonesia in Jakarta on Monday (June 19).
Manchester United star Alejandro Garnacho hails Lisandro Martinez as father figure
Alejandro Garnacho is teammates with his compatriot Lisandro Martinez at Old Trafford. The central defender joined the Red Devils from Ajax in the summer and has soon become a key player for the team.
Garnacho recently opened up about his relationship with the Manchester United defender, who goes by the nickname "The Butcher". Speaking to TyC Sport, the attacker said about Martinez:
“Here, they call me Ale, and Licha (Lisandro Martinez) calls me Garna because in Manchester that’s what they call me. Lisandro Martinez is like my father in Manchester.
"He tells me when I’m doing well and when I’m doing bad. He helps me a lot. He’s a 10 as a person. He talks to me about the national team."
It's always important for young players to have a mentor around them so that they don't lose their way. Having Martinez by his side should be of massive help for Garnacho, who's still in the early years of his promising career.
