“It’s not easy”: Liverpool legend singles out United youngster for praise after Fulham win

Benjamin Sesko rounded off a stunning third game in charge for Manchester United caretaker manager Michael Carrick by scoring the winner against Fulham at Old Trafford on Sunday, 1 February, in the Premier League. The Red Devils arrived for the game buoyed by their back-to-back wins against Manchester City and Arsenal in the league. United removed former head coach Ruben Amorim from the hot seat at the Theatre of Dreams at the beginning of last month and handed Carrick the reins of the first team squad until the end of the season. The former midfielder responded by securing a 2-0 win over City at home and a 3-2 victory over the Gunners at the Emirates. The Red Devils were cruising at 2-0 on Sunday against Marco Silva’s side by the 56th minute, but the Cottagers wrestled back to 2-2 by the first minute of second-half injury time. For Sesko, who had only come off the bench in the 74th minute, it was time to stand up and be counted. Three minutes later, after receiving the ball in the box following some good work by Bruno Fernandes on the right, the Slovenian unleashed a swivelling strike that rippled the net, igniting wild celebrations on and off the pitch. Sesko’s struggles at Old Trafford Sesko started his United tenure with the burden of a huge price tag sitting heavy on his shoulders. United paid £74 million for the 22 year old, but he managed just two goals in 17 games under Amorim. However, Sesko has been on fire since the Portuguese’s departure, and has now found the back of the net four times in his last four games. Benjamin Sesko Stats: 2025/26 Season CompetitionAppearancesStartsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsSecond Yellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Premier League1911511–1,067′ FA Cup111—-90′ EFL Cup11—–90′ Total2113611–1,247′ Source: Transfermarkt. On Sunday, Sesko etched his name in Fergie time folklore at the Theatre of Dreams, with the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson watching from the stands. The player’s performance has now drawn praise from former United striker Michael Owen. A morale-boosting win Speaking to Premier League Productions, as cited by Metro, Owen insisted that the goal will boost Sesko’s confidence. He said: “That will do him no end of good.” “It’s not easy when you come in, such a high price tag and everybody is looking at you, everybody knows that’s been a problem position for so long. It doesn’t start well, the team isn’t playing that well. How many times have we said that over the years? Manchester United’s number nine position has been a difficult position to fill.” “Then he goes and does this! A lovely first touch, the defender just comes across and gives him a lovely little area to bend it around. It’s a beautiful swivel and finish, great touch, bends, curls it into that far corner and the goalkeeper gets nowhere near it.” “You can’t help but feel really pleased for the lad. When you seen him struggling, it’s not a nice thing. I bet he’s been desperate for that moment and it’s come. Hopefully that can really kick-start his Manchester United career.” Final Thoughts United have already matched their last season tally of 44 league goals, and have done so with 14 games left in the season. With their Portuguese maestro, Bruno Fernandes, now operating in the No. 10 role and Sesko also in rich form, a top-four finish could be a real possibility for the Red Devils this campaign. Featured image Jan Kruger via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.