Manchester United Star Already Being Compared To Ballon d'Or Winner

Liverpool legend Jamie Redknapp thinks Manchester United star Mason Greenwood's career resembles the rise to stardom of his former teammate, 2001 Ballon d’Or winner Michael Owen.

After an impressive run this season, Greenwood emerged as one of the future superstars in the sport. United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been pleased with the youngster’s progress in the first team and wants Greenwood to continue developing under his wing.

Former Red Devils striker Dimitar Berbatov even compared Greenwood to Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest players to ever represent Old Trafford. But Greenwood’s fine form has also caught the eye of players from other Premier League teams.

In his recent article for the Daily Mail, former Liverpool player Redknapp recounted how his then-Reds teammate, Owen, first made his mark in the Premier League.

Redknapp pointed out that Owen’s talent and rise to fame fairly resemble Greenwood’s. He noted that the Manchester United Academy graduate has been doing a good job overcoming the pressure and challenges he's encountered just like the 2001 Ballon d’Or winner did.

“I remember seeing Michael Owen break through, too,” Redknapp recalled. “I was on the pitch the day he made his Liverpool debut against Wimbledon and became the club’s youngest scorer at 17 years and 144 days. That was in May 1997, but we’d heard long before that about this boy from the academy who was coming through the ranks.”

“That’s what happens at clubs when they have a special talent on their hands: rumors go around. The only question is whether they can handle the step up. Owen did, and Greenwood is doing so, too,” he added.

Meanwhile, Solskjaer recently addressed Greenwood’s future with United. The Red Devils boss said the team puts their trust in their youngsters, who have excelled since their days at the academy, Manchester Evening News reported.

Along with another notable youngster, Brandon Williams, Solskjaer wants Greenwood to show off his skills and remain fearless inside the pitch.

“And when you’re Brandon [Williams], when you’re Mason [Greenwood] – when you’re one of the young kids who have come through this academy – they have no fear,” Solskjaer revealed. “They know what we want from our players. We want them to express their talents, we want them to take risks, we want them to play with...a pair of plums, to put it that way. We just trust them to do that.”