Rashford studying for success

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, young Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford lifts the lid on his commitment to success and how Zlatan Ibrahimovic is proving to be the perfect mentor…

For Marcus Rashford, each day at the training ground is an opportunity to learn.

While many boys his age are embarking on their first year at university, the 19-year-old England and Manchester United striker is studying hard at Carrington.

It’s tempting to think success comes easily to Rashford. After all, his instant impact at United and rapid rise into the national side has seen him achieve feats never before achieved by footballers as young as him.

But to simply attribute those breakthroughs to some kind of superior natural talent would be to ignore Rashford’s commitment to reaching his potential.

From embracing his role out wide to analysing the play of his mentor Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Rashford is dedicated to his aim of becoming the “ultimate centre forward”, as he told Geoff Shreeves earlier this year.

Speaking to Sky Sports again a few months on, kitted out for a training session in Nike Football training apparel, his enthusiasm remains. “It’s an important part of the game,” he said of United’s training ground work. “We have a lot of great sessions and it’s important we keep them fun because that’s the best way to learn in my opinion.

“If the training sessions are fun you get what you want to get out of them.”

Come matchdays this season, Rashford has often found himself deployed in a wide role, with superstar summer arrival Ibrahimovic leading the line.

But while Rashford has publicly stated his desire to eventually be a No 9, he is eager to make the most of his time on the wing, using his game-time in the wider role to understand United’s attacking play from a new angle.

“Playing out wide is going to help me to develop to play in the middle in the long run,” he said. “Looking at the game from a different perspective, it’s helping my game a lot.

“When I do get a chance to go in the middle, I find things more natural now. I do think it’s helping my game.

“When I’ve been playing as a winger, there are positions you can put the ball into for the striker and when I go back into the middle I understand those positions more than I did.

“It’s not just about showing people what you can do on the ball in those wider positions, it’s about gaining the full understanding of each position and what it takes to get that …

continue reading in source www.skysports.com