Wout Weghorst on his first Man United goal: 'Great night, great result and great feeling'

On-loan striker is already feeling at home after League Cup win over Nottingham Forest

Wout Weghorst celebrates after scoring Manchester United's second goal in the 3-0 League Cup semi-final first-leg win against Nottingham Forest at The City Ground on January 25, 2023. AFP

Bruno Fernandes celebrates scoring United's third goal. PA

Bruno Fernandes celebrates scoring with Anthony Elanga. PA

Wout Weghorst celebrates with teammates after scoring United's second goal. Getty

Wout Weghorst after scoring United's second goal. PA

Marcus Rashford celebrates after scoring the first for United. Getty

United's Dutch striker Wout Weghorst reacts after missing a chance. AFP

Rashford turns to celebrate scoring. PA

United's Victor Lindelof is challenged by Morgan Gibbs-White of Nottingham Forest. Getty

Forest's Wayne Hennessey saves from Antony. Action Images

United goalkeeper David De Gea punches the ball clear. Getty

Forest's Brennan Johnson is frustrated. Reuters

United manager Erik ten Hag watches the action. PA

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper. Action Images

Wout Weghorst has revealed his delight after scoring his first Manchester United goal in the League Cup semi-final triumph at Nottingham Forest.

“Great night, a great result and great feeling,” said the on-loan Dutchman, who only started training at his new club last week.

Weghorst scored just before half-time in the first-leg clash on Wednesday, adding to Marcus Rashford's opener in the 3-0 win, and added: “It’s always special and you want to score goals. You prefer to have one as quick as possible.

“I think in the first half we didn’t control the game as we wanted. It was a little bit too much up and down. We created a couple of really good chances also after the 1-0 from Rashford.”

Weghorst played as United’s central striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation, a reference point and a tall target man for the rest of his team.

“I think I was important there sometimes in the link-up, in the combinations through the middle,” he explained. “We had some great attacks that we unfortunately could not finish. Then, of course, I think it was a really good moment, a really good timing to score shortly before half-time because we were not that in control in the game. That definitely helped us.”

Weghorst’s goal came after he pounced on a parried Antony shot to strike the loose ball into the roof of the net.

“It was over the right side, I think, with Cas (Casemiro),” he said. “He played to Antony and he shot. I just moved and moved forward to the goal hoping for the rebound and it came. It came a little bit on the left of me and I took it, jumped in with the outside. I hit it fully.

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“I was hoping that the ball was falling there and it did exactly.”

Weghorst has played three United games in a week. He has the trust of his manager and, asked what Erik ten Hag has instructed him to do between now and May, he responded: “Deliver and help the team.

“We were looking for a target man, that was something the club was looking for. Of course, with (Anthony) Martial there was only, like, one striker, more of a No 9. They just wanted to add one and then it's up to me and to take the chances. The opportunities are there and it’s for me to deliver, contribute and help the team in the way I'm playing, the way I am pressing.”

Asked if he could stay at United beyond his loan from Championship club Burnley, via Besiktas of Istanbul, Weghorst added: “Of course, I’ve seen how big the club is, in everything, facilities, even the quality in the team, the way we’re playing.

“There’s a lot of quality in everything and that’s something you look to work in, in a winning atmosphere. I think the first week went well and it’s up to me to deliver and contribute and to help the team as good as I can. I’m quite confident I can play a role in it. It’s a massive club so I will try to do everything as good as I can and if it will work out it will be a good option.”

Ten Hag gave his thoughts on his new striker, saying: “He has a really good scoring record.

“For strikers it’s always important to score. So it’s important for him, for his confidence and the way he scored that goal. And this is one of the ways to score goals: by being in the box, being present.

“I think he did a great job at Crystal Palace and Arsenal with pressing, with targets and movements. The goal from Bruno at Crystal Palace, he was part of it because he makes the right movement to the front post. The goal of Rashford at Arsenal, he was part of it by dragging the centre half away. But strikers are there to score goals and when they don’t score they’re not happy.”

Rashford is happy that Weghorst frees up space, and the Mancunian has made a strong impression on the Dutchman.

“You see the great run he’s in to, he’s delivering, every week you see it in training, he’s got a lot of quality,” said Weghorst.

“He’s also a really good guy, a really open guy. He was the first one who came to me when I scored my goal. We have a good relationship; you see the qualities he has. He’s extremely important for us, the way we play, he’s a massive part.”