Chapter 658: A Star is Born
"Mason!"
"Greenwood!" Mourinho raised his voice.
Greenwood snapped out of his daze.
Mourinho glanced at him and understood immediately—this kid was nervous.
"Nervous?" Mourinho asked.
Greenwood nodded at first, then quickly shook his head.
"What's there to be nervous about?" Mourinho patted Greenwood's shoulder. "When you get on the pitch, Marco Silva will probably be wondering, 'Who's this kid?'"
Greenwood grimaced. It was true, but did the boss really have to say it like that?
"Go out there." Mourinho grinned mischievously. "If you score and turn the game around, you'll make a name for yourself. If you don't, no big deal. Reporters will just think, 'Mourinho subbed in an unknown kid because he's given up.'"
"Stop overthinking." Mourinho playfully kicked Greenwood. "Just treat this as experience for next time."
Mourinho's mix of scolding and encouragement finally calmed Greenwood down. The coach was right—he wasn't a big deal yet. If he played well, he'd become famous. If not, nobody would care. Most importantly, Mourinho's words showed his trust. Greenwood knew one bad game wouldn't ruin his career.
Greenwood Takes the Field
Manchester United substituted the French star Mbappé for their 17-year-old academy product Mason Greenwood.
"Who's this kid?" Marco Silva asked.
His assistant coach quickly provided an answer. "Mason Greenwood. He's a Manchester United academy prospect who turned 17 earlier this month. Last season, he was the top scorer in the U-18 North Premier League. Mourinho promoted him to the first team this summer, but this is his first time in the matchday squad."
Marco Silva's smile widened. He thought to himself: Mourinho must be out of options if he's putting a rookie on the field. Even with United's lack of forwards on the bench, Silva felt it would've been more reliable to bring on someone like Ander Herrera instead of a 17-year-old novice.
"This is surrender," Silva thought smugly. "He's just giving the kid some experience."
For the first five or six minutes after coming on, Greenwood didn't touch the ball. Marco Silva relaxed and even smirked.
An Opportunity Arises
Out of nowhere, André Gomes fouled Bruno Fernandes in midfield, and Manchester United took a quick free kick.
Rashford picked up the ball on the wing and began a blistering run.
"What speed! Rashford is flying! Coleman can't keep up—he's overtaken him! Gomes is left behind as well."
Rashford blew past Coleman and Gomes, driving the ball down the flank.
Mourinho's sharp eyes caught a detail: Greenwood was making a forward run through the middle. Everton's defenders were entirely focused on Harry Kane, leaving Greenwood almost unnoticed.
Michael Keane stayed glued to Kane, watching him like a hawk.
Rashford's pass came in—a perfect through ball aimed at Kane.
A Decisive Pass
Kane burst past Michael Keane, controlling the ball with a deft touch that placed it perfectly for the next move.
Keane reacted quickly, pivoting to block Kane's path. But Kane's earlier touch had positioned his body to face the goal.
Kane executed a series of feints, shifting his weight and using a bicycle motion to throw Keane off balance.
"Watch out for his shot!" Everton keeper Pickford shouted.
Just when it seemed like Kane would take the shot, he slid the ball forward instead—a precise pass.
Greenwood's Moment
Greenwood darted past Zouma, perfectly timing his run to latch onto Kane's pass.
"Greenwood!"
"Offside!" cried neutral or Everton-supporting commentators.
"No, he's onside! Perfect timing!" retorted United-friendly analysts.
Zouma was stunned. The previously quiet rookie had slipped past him with a sudden burst of speed, creating enough separation to receive the pass unchallenged.
With only Pickford ahead, Greenwood charged into the box amid thunderous cheers from Old Trafford.
Pickford rushed out to close the angle, but Greenwood coolly nudged the ball to the right. As Pickford dove, Greenwood pulled the ball back with a graceful touch, accelerated past the keeper, and slotted it into the empty net with his left foot.
3–3! Manchester United had equalized!
A Star is Born
"GOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"
"Mason Greenwood! United's No. 26 scores on his Premier League debut! What a goal!" Andy Gray shouted. "This 17-year-old academy product has just turned the tide in his first match. Remember the name: Mason Greenwood!"
"Incredible! Greenwood, the youngster promoted by Mourinho, scores a crucial equalizer against Everton in his debut. This is the stuff of dreams!"
"Whether United wins or not, Mourinho's eye for talent has been vindicated yet again."
Greenwood was ecstatic, nearly overwhelmed with joy. He started running to celebrate but was intercepted by captain Bruno Fernandes.
Bruno hugged him, shouting, "Great job!" Then he slapped Greenwood on the back and added, "Don't celebrate too much. We've only tied it."
Greenwood looked at his captain, who had already retrieved the ball from the net and was sprinting back toward midfield. Greenwood nodded dumbly.
He'd scored and was over the moon, but Bruno was right—this wasn't the time for celebration. A draw wouldn't suffice.
This was about breaking records. A new chapter in Premier League history demanded nothing less than victory.
(To be continued...)
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