"Are they like Ryan Giggs or Wayne Rooney?" - Michael Owen suggests youngsters coming through at Manchester United need to be 'freakishly' good to succeed
Former Liverpool and Manchester United forward Michael Owen believes Anthony Elanga will need to be 'freakishly' good to make it big at the club. The football pundit even went on to compare the 19-year-old with the likes of Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney.
Elanga scored a crucial equalizer for Manchester United in their 1-1 Champions League Round of 16 draw against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. The youngster came on in the 75th minute, and was on the scoresheet just five minutes later. He also scored United's fourth goal in a recent 4-2 win over Leeds United.
Speaking on BT Sport (via Metro) after the Champions League encounter, Owen praised Elanga. But the 42-year-old warned at the same time that he needs to bring out something special to carve out a place for himself at the club.
"He’s made a difference when he’s come on," he said. "If I saw him playing for any other team I’d say, ‘yeah, this kid’s got something and he’s going to be a good player’.
"But when I see them coming through Manchester United they have to be special, special," he added. "They have to be world class. Is Elanga and players like that going to take you to the league title or win the Champions League? Are they like Ryan Giggs or Wayne Rooney coming through?
"He’s a very, very good player, but if I’m being brutally honest, if you’re asking me what I think of him, I think he’ll have a fantastic career, but he’ll do very, very well to be a Ryan Giggs or a Wayne Rooney," he continued.
Citing the example of Marcus Rashford, Owen explained how important it is to find "another level" to have a legendary career at Manchester United.
"I know that’s comparing [Elanga to some of the greats], but that’s what Manchester United are," he said. "That’s what they’re aspiring to be, they were and they’ve got to get back to that.
"If you’ve not got that absolute freakish talent, you’re not really going to be the right… we’ve just spoken about Marcus Rashford – he’s a phenomenal player – he’s got to find another level," he added. "Because at the minute they’re not playing like they’re going to win the Champions League or the league."
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To expect a youngster to break through like Giggs and Rooney is 'blue-sky' thinking: Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand, meanwhile, did not concur with Owen's assessment. He was quick to point out that it would be unfair on Elanga to compare him with generational talents such as Rooney and Giggs.
"What he [Elanga] brings is an energy, a desire, fearlessness," he said. "There’s not enough in this Man United team at times. I think to expect to have a young player come through like a Rooney or a Ryan Giggs is blue-sky thinking, that’s like generational-type stuff.
"I think Man United aren’t in that place now," he added. "They need sound characters, sound people, honest, hard-working players who you can build around."
The Swedish forward was promoted to the Manchester United first team in July 2021. In 14 appearances across all competitions for the senior side, he has scored three goals, with interim manager Ralf Rangnick giving him an extended run of games.
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