Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood scored the second in his side’s 3-1 comeback win at Aston Villa on Sunday to further delay city rivals Manchester City’s coronation as Premier League champions.
That was the 19-year-old’s 16th Premier League strike, overtaking Wayne Rooney’s record of 15 as a teenager. Marcus Rashford is third in the list with 13 goals as a teenager.
The Red Devils have produced a few eye-catching teenagers down the years, with the likes of David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Marcus Rashford among a long list of academy products to have hit the ground running in their formative years.
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And although they weren’t bred in the club’s famed academy, Old Trafford faithfuls have also been treated to seeing the likes of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo in the their teenage years.
Rooney arrived as an 18-year-old from Everton in a then-deal for an under-20 player, reportedly around £26 million. Among his famous goals was a strike against Arsenal to end the Gunners’ 49-game unbeaten record on his 19th birthday – October 24, 2004.
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Meanwhile, Greenwood is fast-emerging as one of the best young players in the game. He has scored 22 Premier League goals in 92 appearances since his debut in March, 2019.
He has been praised heavily by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who said he is the best finisher he has ever seen at the club. That was some praise coming from the Norwegian former United striker, who has also played alongside the likes of Eric Cantona, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and others.