Arsenal

Darren Bent has praised Alejandro Garnacho for not being scared of the presence of the likes of Marcus Rashford, as he knows “I’m the main man.”

Expectations on Garnacho were high coming into senior football as a result of seven goals and three assists in six games of a triumphant FA Youth Cup campaign in 2021/22.

Since then, he’s progressed well in the first team, with 12 goals and seven assists in 67 outings. Seven of those goals and two assists have come this term, with Garnacho also surely winning goal of the season for his overhead kick strike against Everton.

The 19-year-old has had the same impact in terms of goals as United star player Rashford, and Bent thinks it’s a good thing that Garnacho is not wary of that big a presence being ahead of him in the side, as he knows he gets in on merit.

“I will tell you what. Garnacho, the boy is on fire, isn’t he? Keep doing the Ronaldo celebrations. The Messi boys will be out for him when he goes back to Argentina,” Bent said on talkSPORT.

“A lot of players in that position, and I have seen it, where the player who is playing in front of them, like Rashford, is such a big key presence that you are almost scared to go and grab that opportunity because you are thinking, ‘How is the manager ever going to pick me over someone like Marcus Rashford?’

“Garnacho has just gone, ‘I don’t really care. I am the main man. I want to play every single game.’ Fair play to him. I am a huge fan of his.”

Garnacho has started 15 Premier League games this season, and has been picked on the left wing instead of Rashford on occasion, taking his position for four games running in December.

The youngster has been shifted to the right wing of late, and bagged a brace against Aston Villa from there recently,