MY ACCOUNT
Marcus Rashford has been a man reborn at the 2022 World Cup, staking his claim to be an England starter.
With three strikes at the tournament, the Manchester United forward is currently the joint-top goalscorer in Qatar and has given Gareth Southgate a selection headache.
The Three Lions boss opted to drop both Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling for the 3-0 win over Wales and now has to decide who should start Sunday’s last-16 tie with Senegal.
Ahead of that clash, we turn the spotlight on Rashford and assess why it would be a bold decision to leave him out.
Breath of fresh air
After cruising past Iran in the opening game, England’s attack looked stale in their bore draw with the United States.
A front three of Saka, Sterling and Harry Kane can be effective and was utilised superbly in the European Championship last summer, but the Americans looked to have their number.
Just like against Iran, England were more dangerous with Rashford on the pitch and it was no different in the thumping of Wales.
The numbers certainly back up the theory that the 25-year-old has been the Three Lions’ star attacker in the tournament.
Rashford trumps Sterling and Saka in terms of goals scored, shots and take-ons.
In fact, the 49-cap international is averaging 2.5 goals, 7.5 shots and 4.2 take-ons completed per 90 minutes — a quite phenomenal return.
Although these numbers are inflated due to his one appearance in the starting XI, there is no denying that Rashford has been one of the tournament’s top performers.
Ride the momentum
Rashford could not buy a goal for the Red Devils last season but now looks to have put those woes far behind him.
Rejuvenated under Erik ten Hag, the Manchester native has been reminiscent of the player who broke through the ranks at Old Trafford back in 2016.
The agile winger is clearly someone who thrives on confidence and it would seem foolish to drop him for the nation’s biggest game since last summer’s final at Wembley.
A noticeable difference in Rashford’s game has been his willingness to run at players, something that often leads to him breaking in behind the defence.
It was on show for his goal against Iran, while the Welsh backline looked all at sea in the build-up to his second on Tuesday.
That brace means he has scored in 12 of his 22 starts for his country, ranking him fifth-highest of all players with 20+ starts.
However, Saka and Sterling looked burnt out in their second start and Southgate may be fearful of the same happening with his No11.
Play the opposition
Despite England being a heavy favourite on paper, the 1966 World Cup winners must not take Senegal for granted — especially in a knockout game.
Complacency has been the downfall of both Belgium and Germany and the Africa Cup of Nations champions are no pushover, even without Sadio Mane.
The Lions of Teranga gave the Netherlands a run for their money and with Kalidou Koulibaly commanding the backline, England will need their forwards at the top of their game.
The two keepers to have conceded against Rashford thus far are Danny Ward and Hossein Hosseini, but a tougher test awaits against Chelsea stopper Edouard Mendy.
He faced up against the Senegalese custodian in the Premier League twice last season but failed to find the net on both occasions.
If Rashford is to be England’s hero once again, he may need to pull out something similar to the spectacular free-kick he scored against Wales.
Happiness is key
Southgate himself has confirmed that he has seen a difference in Rashford compared with last summer.
Speaking after the Wales game, the 52-year-old boss said: “We have a different version completely to the player we had in the Euros last summer. He’s managed to produce those moments tonight, and he could have had a hat-trick really.
“You can see with his club there has been happiness in his performances this year, and that has shown itself on the training ground with us.
“I went and saw him in the summer, had a long chat with him, and he had some clear ideas he felt he needed to think about and do.”
Southgate’s glowing review suggests that he plans on utilising Rashford in one way or another in the knockout phases of the World Cup — though whether it will be as a starter is still unclear.
