RASH IS KEY FOR GARETH
GARETH SOUTHGATE has hailed teenage hotshot Marcus Rashford as a youngster who can fire England to glory.
As Wayne Rooney’s international career looks to be drawing to a close, Old Trafford team-mate Rashford (above) was being singled out by Southgate as vital to his plans.
After including Rashford in the squad for next month’s World Cup qualifier in Scotland and the friendly in France, the Three Lions manager said: “He’s in the senior squad on merit, and has been for a year.
“He had one game with the Under-21s when I was
there in September and he was outstanding that day, but he’s not really been a part of the Under-21 squad.
“His performances warrant him being in the senior squad.”
Southgate has pulled Rashford out of the U-21 squad for the European Championship in Poland so he can give his all for the seniors.
Despite fighting hard to have access to the top young talent when he was U-21s boss, Southgate is believed to have opted for this approach following talks with United boss Jose Mourinho.
Rashford already has eight senior England caps and scored on his debut against Australia in April last year.
Protect
Southgate added: “The question then is, could he have gone with the Under-21s after that? In my opinion, no.
“He’s a 19-year-old player who’s had an exceptional season and will have had virtually 60 matches by that point.
“Somebody has to protect him. Somebody has to manage the development of a young player, and that has to be my call.”
Southgate, who led the U-21s at the Euro 2015 Championship, insisted the latest Young Lions squad will have enough quality to excel under Aidy Boothroyd.
He said: “Of course there are lots of different objectives around what we’d like to do as an organisation and what we’d like to win. But, as the senior manager and with him as a senior player, I’ve got to make that call.
“That’s not easy, because I’m very conscious that the development teams and their success is a very important part of what we want to do.
“We still want to fulfil that, and that’s why we’ve got the likes of James Ward-Prowse and Nathan Redmond going back with the U-21s now.
“In my view, Marcus’ situation is different. He’s played fewer games in this U-21 campaign than Eric Dier and Dele Alli – we’re not sending those guys, and we won’t be sending Marcus.
“In January, that (sending him to the U21 Euros) was probably where I was heading with it. He wasn’t a regular in United’s team and he hadn’t done quite as well for us in November.
“In March, it was important that he was with the senior squad as we didn’t have Harry Kane, Daniel Sturridge or Danny Welbeck. His impact on our games and the way he trained with us was very impressive.
“He then went back to Manchester United and was in their team right the way through to the end of the season.
“It would be inconceivable not to put him in the senior squad.”
Spurs right-back Kieran Trippier is the only new name in the squad.
As well as Rooney’s omission, Southgate has also again snubbed Arsenal strikers Theo Walcott and Welbeck and kept faith with 34-year-old hitman Jermain Defoe.