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Marcus Rashford Must Ensure He Does Not Follow the Path of Adnan Januzaj in 2017
- Updated: December 16, 2016
Marcus Rashford’s story is so remarkable it has been immortalised in a video game. EA Sports used the tale of a teenage striker bursting on to the scene at Manchester United, taking football by storm, to promote FIFA 17. They called him Alex Hunter, but everyone knew who it really was.
Indeed, when the final chime of 2016 rings on New Year’s Eve, Rashford will toast what has been a quite astonishing year. Not even the Old Trafford hardcore had heard of the teenage striker this time last year, with Rashford still turning out for Manchester United’s youth teams. Since then, he has scored a double on his debut, forced his way into the first team, scored in a Manchester derby and appeared at a European Championship for England. What did you do this year?
And yet Rashford already finds himself at a crucial juncture of his career. He achieved all those aforementioned things within six months of 2016. The second half of the year has been much more challenging for the 19-year-old. In fact, there is a sense that it could make or break him.
United manager Jose Mourinho, it was reported by Neil Ashton of The Sun, was unhappy with the striker’s performance as a substitute in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs right-back Kyle Walker nutmegged Rashford twice during the game, and the striker was seen being taken to the touchline for a word with the United manager. That, and in the dressing room afterwards, is where Mourinho reportedly told him to shape up.
That might seem rather harsh on a still-fledgling player who had provided some of the best moments of any Man Utd player over the past year or so, but Mourinho would claim he is only being so hard because of Rashford’s potential. He could become one of the best, so tough love might well be the best policy to ensure the teenager delivers on that promise.
Rashford must learn from the lesson of Adnan Januzaj. He, too, provided a highlight in what was a dreadfully dull season for Manchester United, bursting into the first team under David Moyes. He, too, …
