Paul Merson has urged patience from Marcus Rashford with expectations that the striker’s game time will be limited until the end of the season at Manchester United.
Rashford is yet to start a Premier League game since the turn of the year, but has an amazing record of featuring in every single game for the Reds in all competitions this season.
The lack of starts could easily be attributed to poor goalscoring form and fatigue, with Anthony Martial looking far fresher and contributing much more recently, almost looking undroppable.
“He’s just got to be patient,” former-Arsenal man Merson told the Sky Sports show The Debate.
“His most important thing at the moment in my opinion is make sure you keep on improving in training.
“Don’t come into training sulking because you’re not in the team,” Merson advised Rashford, instead saying the 20-year-old should learn from his talented teammates.
“You’re with unbelievable footballers around you so you need to improve every day,” he said, with Alexis Sanchez just having signed a four-and-a-half year deal at the club in the January transfer window.
“He’s at the best club in the world, don’t be leaving there too early.
“Don’t throw your toys out the pram and think ‘I want to play football’.
“You’re only going one way after Man United unless you’re going to Real Madrid or Barcelona.
“The lad’s got to stay patient. He’s got a long time in football, he could be a proper player.”
At 20, Rashford has played more than 100 times for United and 15 times for his country. His experience at this age is phenomenal, and he’s performed in big games and consistently improved under Louis van Gaal and now Jose Mourinho.
He’s got plenty of time, and it’s hugely improbable that Mourinho would let Rashford go in the summer, or that Rashford would want to leave.