Federico Macheda: where is the former Man Utd wonderkid now?

It was 13 years ago today that a 17-year-old Federico Macheda burst onto the scene with a famous winner for Manchester United.

It’s April 5th, 2009. United are in a three-way dog fight with Liverpool and Chelsea for the Premier League title and had lost their last two league games on the bounce.

If Alex Ferguson’s men were to give up any more ground in the race for silverware, Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool team would have control.

United welcomed Aston Villa to Old Trafford for what should have been a routine but imperative victory, and Macheda watched on from the sides.

Unexpectedly, United found themselves 2-1 behind with half an hour to go, they needed goals and Ferguson looked to Macheda…

Within minutes of Macheda coming onto the pitch, Cristiano Ronaldo had equalised for the Red Devils and they went hunting for a winner. In stoppage time, the debutant got the opportunity he had always been waiting for.

Ryan Giggs knocked the ball out his feet and stroked it in to the path of Macheda, the Italian instinctively Cruyff turned the defender with his first touch, turned on a dime and curled the ball into the far corner beyond Brad Friedel.

Federico Macheda. 93rd minute.#GoalOfTheDay is an iconic @ManUtd #PL strike pic.twitter.com/fhO9eTpxr0

Old Trafford erupted! It was a sensational goal and it was enough to catapult Ferguson’s men to the Premier League title that season.

Macheda had the world at his feet, but then he seemingly disappeared into memory.

Well, he went on to score in his very next game, against Sunderland, and the hype grew even further. United fans thought they were onto a real superstar by the end of the 2008/2009 season, but from that point he would go on to make only 36 total appearances for the club.

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