"Biggest fan boy ever," "Low budget Ronaldo" - Fans react as Manchester United star calls himself 'Cristiano' during friendly bowling game
Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho does not hide his admiration for former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo even in his activities off the football field. The Argentina international was seen to have used the Portuguese great's name as he went bowling with his friends and family.
Garnacho has emerged as one of the best young players in Europe in the past 12 months, earning a place in Erik ten Hag's Manchester United. The teenager is a huge fan of Ronaldo, with whom he played for a year at Old Trafford.
Following a bowling outing with younger brother Roberto Garnacho and a number of their friends, the Manchester United ace was revealed to have used 'Cristiano' as his moniker. His bowling account for the day was in the name of Cristiano, a tribute to his hero.
Alejandro Garnacho grew up playing for the Atletico Madrid youth system when Cristiano Ronaldo was a Real Madrid player. This was before they met in England as teammates.
The 19-year-old was spotted wearing the special shirt released by Sporting Lisbon to honour the 38-year-old legend, and has often celebrated like him after scoring.
Fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to react to finding out that he used the nickname 'Cristiano'. A group of fans referred to him as the biggest fan of Ronaldo.
A number of fans were left in disbelief after they learned about what Garnacho did.
A fan referred to the Argentine youngster as a low-budget form of the Portuguese great.
Quite a few staunch fans of the legendary forward were surprised to see that the youngster was no different from them when it came to his love for Ronaldo.
Manchester United struggling with Ronaldo-sized vacuum
Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United in November 2022 after an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, in which he called out the club. His contract was terminated and he joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr for free.
This season, the Red Devils have struggled in front of goal, with none of their forwards being able to find the net consistently. Englishman Marcus Rashford, who was their highest goalscorer last season, has shown none of the qualities that saw him score 30 goals last season.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 43 goals in 45 appearances for club and country this year since leaving Manchester United, proving that he can still deliver. Many of his doubters have been won over by his impressive goalscoring numbers at 38 years old.
In axing him, Erik ten Hag axed a surefire source of goals and chose to place his trust on Rashford, who has hardly been a consistent performer. The Red Devils will surely be better off with him in their side, without a doubt.