It’s been three years since the forward burst into Manchester United’s first team and he looks better than ever now José Mourinho has been sent packingThere is a famous photo of Marcus Rashford lining up with his teammates before an England Under-16s fixture. Glancing down the row of likely lads you notice an adorably baby-faced Joe Gomez, the youthful Dominic Solanke, looking pretty much the same as the adult Dominic Solanke, and towards the far end a gap in the line where a face should be.Except, look closer and there is someone there, almost blocked from view by the looming outline of the small girl standing in front of him. Yes, it’s Rashford. And yes, he’s tiny, peeping out between...
Youngsters today are not as ready for first-team action as they used to be. However José Mourinho should treat those who do break through, such as Marcus Rashford, with more respectThere’s been a lot of debate this week about the difference between young players today compared to 10 years ago after José Mourinho referred to them as “spoiled kids”. It’s interesting because I do think things have changed significantly in terms of their level of readiness.Young players have always found it hard to break into the first team but those who did in the past such as Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Owen were much more ready to make that step than those who are coming through now. You...
The Manchester City forward looked almost carefree in Spain and Gareth Southgate’s team need to keep this upEngland delivered an impressive display against Spain on Monday and it was kickstarted by a fine opening goal from Raheem Sterling. I was delighted for him. Few, if any, players have had to put up with as much negative energy from the media in recent years as Sterling and this was his way of showing that despite it all he still has what it takes to score goals for England.A huge part of Sterling’s burden in an England shirt has been dealing with all the critics. That is part of being a professional footballer but the scrutiny on Sterling has gone too far....
The Manchester United forward may have pushed his case ahead of Sterling as a poor Switzerland were beaten 1-0There were times when, at best, this felt like a persuasive argument for all things Nations League. Uefa’s brainchild at least provides a competitive edge at a time of year when international friendlies are prone to drift, while ring-rusty players attempt to summon some rhythm before the glut of second-half replacements disrupts the tempo still further.Gareth Southgate must have surveyed the scene at the interval and, Danny Rose’s energy and the odd flash of incision from Marcus Rashford aside, wondered if this whole exercise had any discernible merit. The realist in him saw it coming, of course. He knew he had picked...
Manchester United striker’s slick opener and a frantic finale cannot mask the deep-rooted problems England still face when playing against top-grade opponentsGareth Southgate must have feared the homecoming might turn out this way, with a slap in the face to shrug the nation out of all the giddiness of the summer’s exploits. The Nations League will clearly have the capacity to thrill, the tempo and edge to this contest so much more appealing than a humdrum qualifier against a minnow’s massed defence. But this young side’s development will have to continue in the unforgiving environment of competitive fixtures against pedigree opposition. Related: England 1-2 Spain player ratings: Nations League winners and losers Related: Rodrigo consigns England to defeat by Spain...