Manchester United’s emerging talent Patrick Dorgu publicly paid homage to club legend Patrice Evra following a stunning long-range strike that secured a crucial 3-2 victory for the Red Devils against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium .
The heartfelt exchange on social media highlighted a powerful symbolic connection between the club’s past and present successes during a period of resurgence under interim manager Michael Carrick.
The 21-year-old Danish international has been in scintillating form, contributing three goals and two assists in his last seven Premier League matches, including goals in consecutive wins over Manchester City and Arsenal.
His latest effort, a thunderous strike that crashed in off the underside of the crossbar, left Arsenal’s David Raya with no chance and drew immediate parallels to iconic goals of the past.
Watching from afar, former United left-back Patrice Evra was moved to post a video of himself celebrating the goal on X with the caption, “What are you doing to me bro!”. Dorgu, demonstrating both confidence and respect, replied directly to the legend, writing, “Learned from the best. I’ve seen your goal against Bayern”.
The message referenced Evra’s famous half-volley against Bayern Munich in a 2014 Champions League match, a goal that similarly showcased power and technique from an unlikely source. This interaction comes just a week after Dorgu told Evra, “Thank you bro, trying to follow in your footsteps,” when the Frenchman praised his performance in the Manchester derby.
Dorgu’s current run of form is seen as a direct result of a pivotal tactical shift. Having joined United from Lecce in a £25 million move, the young player was previously deployed as a wing-back under former manager Ruben Amorim, a role which reportedly constrained his natural attacking instincts.
The managerial change has freed him to operate as a hard-running winger, a position that better utilizes his pace and technical ability. This positional evolution has drawn comparisons to Gareth Bale’s successful transition from full-back to forward, with pundits like Jamie O’Hara noting the similarity.
Evra himself has fueled this narrative, stating, “When I watch Dorgu? I see the same blueprint… That’s when Real Madrid start picking up the phone”.
The only cloud over Dorgu’s recent heroics was a late substitution against Arsenal, where he appeared to be holding his hamstring. However, interim manager Michael Carrick moved to allay major injury fears after the match. “Pat has been a big player for us over the last couple of games… He came off with hopefully a little bit of cramp, nothing worse,” Carrick said, while praising Dorgu’s immense contribution at both ends of the pitch.
United will be hopeful the issue is minor as they prepare for their next fixture against Fulham, having climbed into the Premier League’s top four on the back of their dramatic win.