Marcus Rashford has all the qualities to be an absolute gem

This time last week none of us had heard of Marcus Rashford. But with four goals in his first two blistering starts for Manchester United, the 18-year-old is now being tipped as English football’s next big thing. TODAY’s EPL analyst Adrian Clarke (sports [at] mediacorp.com.sg) gives his lowdown on the wonder kid who earns £1,000 a week but is now being offered a £20,000-a-week contract by United to stay at Old Trafford...

A SIXTH SENSE

All the best strikers have a knack of anticipating the bounce of the ball, who it might deflect off, when a defender’s about to make a mistake, and where a teammate will deliver a cross. It’s a totally natural, un-coachable gift.

Early indications suggest Rashford possesses it.

Making sure he’s inside the penalty box (usually within the diameter of the goal posts), he cleverly plays the percentage game, just in case a chance falls his way.

In 180 minutes of action, it has dropped towards him four times, and he has converted them all with a one-touch finish.

Forwards who have this ‘sixth sense’ will always get opportunities to score.

CALM FINISHING

Young players aren’t used to high-pressure stakes, and this can make them snatch at chances to score a vital goal. That prospect doesn’t seem to faze Rashford.

For his first goal against FC Midtjylland, he anticipated Juan Mata’s pullback sharper than his marker, but it was the cleanness of his instant first-time finish that impressed as much.

For his second, as the ball fell onto his right boot, he tucked away a tricky half-volley little fuss as though it was on the training ground.

Arsenal also suffered at the hands of his ice-cool temperament. Running onto Gabriel Paulista’s poor clearance, he caught the ball so sweetly that Petr Cech’s left hand was never going to keep it out – and for his next strike, the accuracy of his glancing header belied his tender years.

He’s a cool cookie in front of goal.

FEARLESSNESS

Many rookies new to the Premier League play with the kind of freedom older players envy. I wouldn’t call it gay abandon, but as someone who has tasted the adrenalin rush, I know that excitement overtakes nerves in the early stages of your professional career.

This bold attitude radiates off Rashford.

In both matches, his first instinct was to run at defenders, and because he exploded into life whenever the ball was at his feet, he immediately excited an Old Trafford faithful that’s sat stony-faced for most of the campaign.

Young players aren’t scared of trying things, and that’s lifted United.

AN ALL-ROUNDER

His smell for goal has drawn early comparisons with Ruud van Nistelrooy, but he’s not just a poacher.

The way he held the ball, before teeing up a perfectly weighted pass for Ander Herrera’s winner against Arsenal was very mature, and his sound touch in general play helped the team keep the ball nicely too.

I also like the forceful nature of his runs. Whether it was peeling off the shoulder of his marker to get his head onto a cross against FC Midtjylland, or driving at speed from the wing to draw a foul from two Gunners defenders, the football intelligence in his make-up is obvious.

Rashford has power and pace, but plenty more on top.

RAW EDGE

The 18-year-old isn’t perfect. There are reasons why we haven’t seen him in first-team action before now, and one of them is a lack of consistency with his decision-making.

There has been the occasional run down a blind alley, and he hasn’t always picked the right time to make a pass. Moments of frustration from teammates will follow in the weeks ahead, especially if his scoring streak turns dry.

However, like all promising teenagers, the improvements should be fast.

POTENTIAL

Louis van Gaal started the season with just two proper centre forwards, Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial, but now he has three.

With the wind in his sails, Rashford looks like he has the tools make an impact in the Premier League, and I do expect his goal tally to rise with more game time

Flash-in-the-pan strikers are not new at Old Trafford (remember Federico Macheda?) and there’s a possibility we’ll also be saying ‘Marcus who?’ in a few years’ time.

But based on first impressions, the latest academy graduate looks an absolute gem.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Former Arsenal midfielder Adrian Clarke has played at every level of the English game. Now an experienced sports journalist, he writes for several well-known football websites and publications. Follow him @adrianjclarke.

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