Man United's Hannibal Mejbri sends strong message after cameo against Liverpool
19-year-old Manchester United youngster Hannibal Mejbri earned high praises for his performance in the 4-0 rout against Liverpool on Tuesday.
FollowManchester United's 4-0 loss to Liverpool may have irked fans and football pundits, but 19-year-old sensation Hannibal Mejbri earned high praises for his performance despite only coming on in the 84th minute of their Premier League clash at Anfield on Tuesday.
The Tunisian was subbed on with 10 minutes remaining and almost instantly found himself in the referee's book for a late challenge on Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. For the rest of the game, Mejbri continued to tackle aggressively and could have seen a second yellow for getting involved in various confrontations with the opposing players.
However, fans were elated by the commitment shown by the attacking midfielder, with many lauding Mejbri for showing more fight than the rest of the United squad.
The Red Devils endured a shocking night with goals from Luis Diaz, Sadio Mane and two goals from Mohamed Salah, sealing a comfortable win for Liverpool and taking them on top of the league table. Ralf Rangnick's side was lacklustre throughout the match, showing minimal fight or intensity except for Mejbri's late cameo.
Also read: Ex-Man United legends tear into Rangnick's men after humiliating loss to Liverpool
"It takes a young kid to come on to show them how to sprint and put a challenge in. I'm actually proud of him," United legend Gary Neville led the praise, while doing commentary for the match on Sky Sports, and several fans agreed with him.
Hannibal Mejbri took to Instagram after the loss to Liverpool and sent a strong message about his willingness to fight. "Always an honour to wear this shirt. Always ready to fight for this badge ⚔️," said the Tunisian on the social media platform.
Several fans commented on Mejbri's post, with many applauding his effort. One user stated, "And you were an actual fighter !! So proud of you," while another added, "Came on for a few mins and actually stuck himself into tackles and tried in those poor circumstances unlike the other lot. Respect to the lad."
Also read: 'Man United make our life easier': Liverpool's Salah adds insult to injury after 4-0 win
Tuesday night was the first Premier League appearance of the season for the United academy graduate, who represented Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year.
Speaking after the match, interim manager Rangnick discussed Mejbri's short but eventful time on the pitch, saying, "Normally, it's better to give a player like him a debut when you are 3-0 up but we haven't been 3-0 up so often this season that's why I decided to play him for the last 10 minutes."
"He was a little bit over-motivated in those two moments, but I think the referee had the right feeling to not send him off," added the German.
United are chasing a top-four finish and with a tricky run-in of games coming up, including fixtures against Arsenal and Chelsea. The Red Devils will be glad to still have the promising Mejbri available, especially with fellow midfielder Paul Pogba now ruled out with injury.
