Louis van Gaal said he felt like kissing Memphis Depay after watching the Manchester United new boy stun Club Brugge on Tuesday night.
Depay scored two fantastic goals in United's 3-1 win over the Belgian club in the Champions League qualifying play-off first leg at Old Trafford.
Five minutes after Michael Carrick's own goal put Brugge ahead, the £25million signing skilfully took down the midfielder's pass and drove the ball in to equalise.
The Dutchman doubled his tally with a peach of a curler just before the break and then set up Marouane Fellaini for United's third in the 94th minute.
"I want to kiss him (Depay) tonight," the United manager said.
"I'm very happy for him because a player needs that.
"Hopefully he shall continue to score.
"I have confidence in him. He showed what he can do tonight. He scored two goals and got the assist for the other."
Despite being opening his account for United in style, Depay left Old Trafford with a tinge of disappointment at not completing his hat-trick.
The former PSV man tried - and failed - to square the ball to Adnan Januzaj in the Brugge box in the first half when he should have shot instead.
And after the restart, he ploughed the ball into the Stretford End after a brilliant move that contained a surging run from Luke Shaw and a neat backheel from Wayne Rooney.
"I'm happy that I scored, and of course I'm happy that we won, but I must admit I'm a bit disappointed because I could have scored the last two chances and got a hat-trick," Depay said.
"I will think about that tonight and forget about it tomorrow."
Van Gaal was happy to hear Depay is setting standards at a similar height to his.
"When you score two goals and the assist also, normally in the world you are the hero. But for a trainer-coach, it's different," the United boss said.
"He's never satisfied. I like that. You have to know what you are doing and also what you can do and then your desire to improve is higher. And that's Memphis."
Van Gaal was happy with Rooney's contribution after criticism of his performances over the last two weeks.
"He had a shot on target, so I'm happy," Van Gaal said of his captain, who is yet to find the net this season, and was replaced by Fellaini in the 84th minute.
The Dutchman claimed he took Carrick off at half-time for "tactical" reasons.
When Carrick had put the ball into his own net, it looked like United's first Champions League tie at Old Trafford in 16 months would end in disappointment,
But Depay's double and Fellaini's header have put United firmly in the driver's seat ahead of next Wednesday's second leg in Belgium.
"I don't think that we have a danger because the players shall know that Brugge is a very difficult club to beat," Van Gaal added.
"They have seen it today. Brugge was very lucky to score a goal because I cannot remember a chance for Brugge."
Van Gaal's opposite number Michel Preud'homme was aware of the threat Fellaini would pose long before kick-off.
The midfielder was a key player in Preud'homme's Standard Liege team that won the Belgian league in 2008.
Preud'homme admitted Brugge made Fellaini's job easier on Tuesday because of the dismissal of Brandon Mechele, who received his second yellow card for a petty foul on Javier Hernandez in the 80th minute.
"He is still my friend, of course," the Brugge boss said of Fellaini.
"If you lose one central defender, it's difficult to mark all the good headers of the other team.
"Even if they're marking him, he's so strong with his head, so it's always difficult. We know him very well. I used him in this situation many times before.
"But you need to have the players to stop him and with one player less, it was difficult to do that."
Source: PA
