Manucho will be hoping for more appearances in a red shirt

Angola striker Manucho made his long-awaited debut for Manchester United in their 3-1 Carling Cup win over Middlesbrough on Tuesday night.

The 25-year-old came on as a substitute in the 84th minute for his first appearance at Old Trafford after a drawn-out work permit saga.

Manucho was offered a three-year contract last December, but only received official clearance this month.

He spent three months on loan in the meantime at Greek side Panathinaikos.

After replacing Ryan Giggs with just six minutes remaining, Manucho managed one effort, firing Anderson's through-ball wide of the target.

The game was overshadowed by the dismissal of Middlesbrough captain Emanuel Pogatetz for a horror tackle on Rodrigo Possebon, who was also making his debut for United.

Manucho was one of the stars of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana, scoring four goals and helping the Palancas Negras progress to the quarter-finals.

He joins a star-studded line-up in attack with Wayne Rooney, Christiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov all currently ahead of him in the pecking order.