Whereabouts of former Man United striker Federico Macheda

• Federico Macheda is best remembered for his stunning last-gasp winner against Aston Villa on his Manchester United debut nearly 15 years ago
• While United didn’t win the league on that day, every fan would agree that the goal played a massive role in the triumph at the end of the season
• Macheda was released by the Red Devils in 2014 and has since played for several clubs

If you were a Manchester United fan during the days of Sir Alex Ferguson, then you must be familiar with the name Federico Macheda.

Macheda is best remembered for his stunning last-gasp winner against Aston Villa on his Manchester United debut nearly 15 years ago. The scoreline was 2-2 and United badly needed to win that match or else Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool would assume control of the Premier League standings with a few games left.

With the crowd at Old Trafford praying for magic to happen deep in stoppage time, Ryan Giggs’ pass into the box was met by 17-year-old Macheda who marked his debut with an incredible goal. The flick, the turn, the composure, the strike were just out of this world. Old Trafford simply erupted.

Federico Macheda and Sir Alex Ferguson. Photo/ Goal.com.

How can a teenager score such a ‘big’ goal on his debut and at a time there was so much pressure in the game for the forwards to produce something? While United didn’t win the league that day, every fan would agree that that Macheda’s goal played a massive role in the triumph at the end of the season.

The goal carried emotions as the one Rasmus Hojlund scored against Aston Villa on Boxing Day. In both games, the scores were 2-2 with time running out when youngsters with no Premier League goals stepped up to stun the football world. Wait, who is your hero between these two?

While things are finally working out for Rasmus Hojlund after a difficult start to his Manchester United career, the same cannot be said about Macheda who had a better start. In fact, the Italian was forgotten by some fans immediately after leaving Manchester United.

What Happened To Federico Macheda? 

To start with, Federico Macheda began his football journey at Lazio youth team in 2001. He joined Manchester United in 2007 after turning 16 and initially played with the reserve team before his sensational strike against Aston Villa on April 5, 2009.

While fans were still talking about the goal against Villa, Macheda scored another winner for the Red Devils a week later against Sunderland.

After such a promising start to life with Manchester United’s senior team, many believed the Italian would go on to establish himself as one of the top strikers in the English Premier League. In fact, United fans thought they had a world-class talent on their hands.

But unfortunately, things never worked out for Macheda at Old Trafford as he struggled to break into United’s starting XI. Well, you can’t really judge him considering the players United had in their attack during the Fergie era.

After two years of struggling for playing time, Macheda went out on loan to Sampdoria in January 2011. He would then spend the next couple of years on loan at Queens Park Rangers, Stuttgart, Doncaster Rovers and Birmingham City. Yet, none of them worked out for him.

Federico Macheda was released by Manchester United in 2014 and he signed with newly relegated Championship club Cardiff City for the 2014-15 season.

Federico Macheda joined Cardiff after being released by Manchester United. Photo/ Eurosport.

Where Is Macheda Now?

At Cardiff City, Macheda linked up with his former boss at the Reserves team of Manchester United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He made his debut in the second round of the League Cup and grabbed a brace as his side secured a 3-2 victory over Port Vale.

In his second season at Cardiff City, Macheda went out on loan to Nottingham Forest before eventually being released. The Italian returned to his homeland and joined Serie B outfit Novara, with whom he spent two seasons.

In September 2018, Macheda signed a three-year deal with Greece club Panathinaikos. The 32-year-old attacker left Panathinaikos in 2022 and currently plays for Turkish club Ankaragucu. He spent the second half of the 2022-23 season on loan at Cypriot First Division club APOEL.