Garnacho and Ronaldo at 20: how do they compare?

The 14th Premier League goal of Garnacho's young career means that he has now equalled the tally that his great hero, Cristiano Ronaldo, racked up before his 21st birthday.

In all competitions, the apprentice is even ahead of where Ronnie was, with 24 United goals to the Portuguese's 22.

Garnacho does not turn 21 until Tuesday 1 July and, given United are still fighting hard in both the Premier League and the Europa League, the Academy graduate has further time to improve his goals total.

What does it all mean? Well, that's down to your own interpretation.

But the fact that Garnacho's career trajectory is comparable with a player who went on to establish himself as one of the greatest footballers of all time does feel like something worth highlighting, particularly after a tricky barren run for Alejandro.

It barely needs to be said, but this is an unforgiving period for United players, with the team enduring its worst league season since the Premier League was founded in 1992.

We suffered a relatively lean period after Ronaldo joined in the summer of 2003 but 'relative' is very much the key word there: our league finishes in CR7's first three campaigns were third, third and second.

Players like Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes were integral figures, while Ruud van Nistelrooy led the forward line. Most players in that roll call would be considered an all-time club legend. Sir Alex Ferguson was, of course, still our unwavering, stable manager.

Garnacho and his colleagues have not enjoyed such stability, but still the diminutive forward has contributed in a big way, in difficult circumstances.

Ronaldo was allowed space and time to develop by Ferguson, even being afforded breaks from first-team involvement.

Garnacho has already played 131 games in all competitions, to the 122 Ronaldo notched before turning 21. In the Premier League, he has appeared in 85 games to Cristiano's 82. Barring injury, those gaps will increase over the next two months.

Will Garna go on to match the United and Real Madrid legend's umpteen Ballon d'Ors and numerous Champions League trophies? We hope so. But that will be down to many different factors, and not all of them will be within the player's control.

But, for us fans, Garnacho's impressive figures should elicit respect and patience. We're expecting a lot from this lad, and so far he has delivered plenty. But let's not forget the challenges of the period of United history in which he is learning his trade.

When Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford for the 2006/07 season, his fourth campaign, he hit a three-year run of form that the Premier League still acclaims to this day. That period delivered three consecutive titles for our club, plus a Champions League and a Club World Cup.

No-one is expecting Garnacho to match that same, infernal pace over the next couple of years. But the steady rise of Ronaldo between 2003-2006 teaches us that even all-time greatness must be encouraged, nurtured and, more than anything, supported.