"Zidane or Messi" - Manchester United stars Fernandes, Sancho and McTominay pick their childhood idolsย
Manchester United stars Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho and Scott McTominay have revealed their childhood idols while growing up.
The trio are key players under current United interim manager Ralf Rangnick. They were interviewed by BT Sport where they spoke of legendary players they had grown up idolising.
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ? ๐
โข Recreating goals in the garden
โข Name on the back of the shirt
โข Highlights on repeat
We asked some of the Premier League's biggest stars who inspired them in football... https://t.co/5SFqDJRSPZ
Fernandes chose Barcelona legend Ronaldinho as his hero, with the Portugal star saying:
"Ronaldinho for his happiness playing football."
Ronaldinho is a Brazilian icon who, during his playing days, amassed 94 goals and 71 assists in 207 games for the La Liga giants. He is often regarded as one of football's greatest ever players.
Meanwhile, Manchester United winger Sancho, 22, echoed Fernandes' sentiments on the Brazil icon, saying:
"My favourite player growing up was Ronaldinho."
Ronaldinho was known for his unbelievable trickery on the ball and his eye for goal. That was his evident in his stunning goal against Chelsea in 2005.
Scott McTominay, meanwhile, chose a former teammate of Ronaldinho's, Lionel Messi, as one of his childhood heroes alongside Zinedine Zidane. He said:
"I'd probably say Zidane or Messi."
The PSG forward is regarded by many as the greatest player in history. His tally of 679 goals in 798 career appearances is an achievement that will likely not be replicated by many.
McTominay currently plays with the Argentinian's long time rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who alongside Messi, is often regarded as the greatest in the sports history. However, it is another former teammate of Ronaldo's that McTominay idolises.
Tenacious Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane is another player the Scotland international has picked out for praise. The French icon enjoyed a glittering career for both club and country.
His aggression is something McTominay would like to have in his own game. Zidane often dominated midfield, captivating with his elegance on the ball.
Can Manchester United players replicate their heroes' success?
Fernandes idolising Ronaldinho for his happiness playing football is ironic, given the tumultuous period the Portuguese player has encountered at Old Trafford recently. Manchester United have had a horrid season thus far, with their Portugal playmaker not hitting the heights of last season.
Fernandes, 27, enjoyed a mesmerising first two seasons with the side, making 46 goal contributions in 51 Premier League games before this season. However, he has struggled to replicate the same exploits this year as he hopes to bounce back and establish himself as a United great.
Jadon Sancho, meanwhile, joined from Borussia Dortmund last summer in a huge ยฃ76.5 million move. He was named by Neymar Jr as a special player before the move, and was also touted as a future Balon d'Or contender. However, his United career has yet to get started in right earnest. He has largely failed to live up to the hype, considering his fabulous exploits in the Bundesliga.
โฃ Absolute world-beater at Borussia Dortmund.
โฃ Underperforming at Manchester United.
BVB legend @RealOwo talked to us about just why it isn't working so far for Jadon Sancho in England. ๐โค๏ธ https://t.co/OjHQQDvHnF
Whether the Manchester United players can replicate the accomplishments of their childhood idols remains to be seen.