Federico Macheda's father says his son made the right choice by leaving Lazio to join Manchester United. The 17-year-old Italian struck a stoppage-time winner on his debut on Sunday to help United defeat Aston Villa 3-2.

"It's thanks to Lazio that today Federico is doing well in his English experience," said Pasquale Macheda.

"He was a part of Lazio's youth team and he was fortunate there to learn a lot and become a serious lad from a sporting point of view.

"Federico was born in Rome and grew up at Lazio. But it's not easy to resist an offer from a prestigious club like Manchester.

"Now we are enjoying the moment and we are proud of what Federico has done.

"He is a serious kid with his feet firmly on the ground."