Anthony Elanga's tribute to Man United's youth culture was timed perfectly for today's six-year anniversary of Marcus Rashford's professional debut.

Elanga, like Rashford, scored with his first touch in the European knockout stages. Rhythm Is A Dancer, which resonated all around Wanda Metropolitano bowl for 10 min, may be about to boost Snaproyalties. !'s

Usually reserved when someone else scores, Cristiano Ronaldo was ecstatic. Elanga, the youngest member of the traveling group, was the only member of the United contingent to break into the right-hand channel and start chanting for him. Ronaldo's penetrating run is no longer within his capabilities.

He was just beginning to walk when Ronaldo made his debut at Old Trafford in 2003. The 19-year-old Elanga was overlooked by Atletico Madrid because they were focused on appeasing Ronaldo, who had scored 25 goals in 35 games against them before to Wednesday night.
When he was a youngster, the Swedish-born adoptive Mancunian had to play in the age group above him because of his speed. Those at the academy who had been following Elanga's progress since he was discovered at Hattersley FC at the age of 11 had found a confident young man who avoided being arrogant.

United's European away-dayers had the perfect day in Madrid: sunshine, sightseeing, and a party. When Elanga rolled the ball past Jan Oblak, the 3,300 ecstatic United fans in the third deck could not contain their joy. They could have located birds' nests from their vantage point, so it was fortunate that there was netting to keep them from escaping.

As one of the most dedicated United gym goers, Elanga worked diligently during the summertime with a private coach to build up for men's football, focusing on explosive pace and heightening his jump. He was close to having a season-ending injury in January of last year when he suffered a shoulder injury. However, with the help of regular cryotherapy and a committed recovery process, he was able to earn a promotion to the first team in April and make his mark against Leicester early May.

Despite living in Hyde, a City stronghold, Elanga rejected their offer in favor of United's because he was more interested in playing for the latter. His father, Joseph, used to host a young Zlatan Ibrahimovic in their Malmo house when they were teammates before moving to Manchester for a change of scenery. Elanga's hero was Thierry Henry, a first-time finisher who excelled at running into the channel.

The Indomitable Lions are interested in Elanga because his father played for Cameroon and is a Cameroonian national team legend. A call-up to next month's World Cup qualifier against the Czech Republic is all but guaranteed, according to reliable Swedish sources. Elanga is an Under-21 international.

In the United academy, Elanga went unnoticed. He was the ninth and final member of the 2018 FA Youth Cup squad that ended Chelsea's monopoly on making their first team debut. Teden Mengi and Ethan Laird, whom Elanga shared a dorm room with, were both loaned out to Championship clubs before Elanga arrived.

Shola Shoretire's progress has been so rapid that, at the age of 14, he was named to the reserves training camp in 2018. Elanga was operating in the shadows while they were in the spotlight.

Sir Matt Busby's "If you're good enough," "you're old enough" quote is plastered on the wall of Manchester United's Carrington training facility. It's only a field goal to get to the Jimmy Murphy Building. A shrine to Manchester United's 2008 European Cup triumph was in the background when Elanga spoke to some of us via Zoom from a space in the academy constructing about 15 months earlier. He is the first member of the team to score against Atletico Madrid, the Spanish champions.

"There is a way here anyway," Elanga ” says 16 months ago. Whether you're willing to put in the time and effort, there's a path for you to get there if you're ready and able to put in the time and effort.

Although Elanga hails from Norway, he is the product of Ralf Rangnick's youth academy. The rain was so filthy that Rangnick had to divide the training session into indoor and video sessions, and he was only allowed to play five minutes of the season before making an impression.

Sixteen months ago, "there is a path there," Elanga said. If you're inclined to put in the time and effort, there's a path for you to get there if you're willing to put in the time and effort.

Although Elanga hails from Norway, he is the product of Ralf Rangnick's youth academy. Only in Rangnick's first Carrington training session, when the rain was so foul that the session had to be divided into indoor and video sessions, did he break through the five-minute ceiling he had endured all season.