Rashford: How my game has evolved

Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has revealed how his game has evolved in a short space of time, in an exclusive interview with Inside United, the club's official magazine.

When playing for the Reds' Under-16s, Rashford would often operate as a no.10 and also featured out wide before developing a real striker's instinct. Expert coaching from Colin Little helped hone his finishing prowess, to such an extent that he now appears capable of scoring all types of goals.

At Watford on Sunday, he produced a predatory strike under Heurelho Gomes when the ball broke for him inside the box. That effort put him on the scoresheet for the second successive away game in the Premier League and also meant he had marked his first domestic start of the campaign with a goal.

The 18-year-old played in a wider role at Vicarage Road, operating on both flanks, but he is proving hard for defenders to pin down as he continues his remarkable first year in the spotlight.

Former United youth-team boss Paul McGuinness revealed Little's specialist sessions with Rashford last December and, when asked by Inside United if that really helped him, the striker replied: "Yes, definitely. That kind of changed my mindset towards the game. Usually, I’d like to get the ball to my feet and show people what I could do, but now I know there are other ways to affect a game. It kind of opened my mind to the game."

The no.10 role could be something Rashford revisits later in his career after filling the position at Under-16 level. "I don’t regret playing in that position because it means now I can still play there if I need to – no.10, on both wings and up front as well. It means I have more in my armoury when it comes to the matches.

"I used to look up to players who would dribble at people, creating chances, scoring too. But the type of the player I want to be now is different to the type of player I wanted to be then."

Read the full interview with Marcus Rashford in this month's Inside United - on sale now, including at Old Trafford’s Megastore and at the stadium on matchdays. You can also buy copies online or subscribe at manutd.com/magazine.