Rashford a perfect example
Reds prove they are ready to restart
LUKE SHAW says Marcus Rashford’s team-mates regard him as one of Manchester United’s senior players – even though he is only 22.
And he claims his Old Trafford team-mate could go on to win the Ballon d’or.
“Yeah, for sure,” said the United defender. “There’s no reason why he can’t win it one day, if he keeps pushing himself.
“He’s improved greatly from when he first came on the scene, not just on the pitch, but off the pitch as well.
“He’s matured so much. He’s really turned into a man and I think everyone’s seen the way he’s conducted himself off the pitch – especially during this pandemic, he’s been unbelievable.”
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has successfully blooded the likes of teenagers Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams this season and Shaw says Rashford – United’s top scorer this season with 19 – is blazing a trail for them all.
He added: “He’s a big inspiration for a lot of young people, especially the ones who are coming through from Manchester.”
JURGEN KLOPP thinks that champions-elect Liverpool are primed and ready for the Premier League return.
They warmed up for next week’s restart by hammering Blackburn 6-0 at Anfield yesterday.
It was their first match since the Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid on March 11 – with the season being put on hold just days later.
Sadio Mane, Naby Keita, Takumi Minamino, Joel Matip and teenagers Ki-jana Hoever and Leighton Clarkson all scored against Rovers, who sit 10th in the Championship.
Liverpool return against Everton on June 21 requiring just six more points to secure the Premier League title.
Reds boss Klopp said: “It looked
■ (right) really good, beginning.
“The counter-press was brilliant, the football was really good, the goals were nice and it was a good afternoon.”
Klopp admitted it felt strange to be playing at Anfield with no fans, adding: “It’s different, of course.
“You need to get used to it but I like it. After three times, it is completely OK. I thought that it would be really awkward but we have to create our own atmosphere in the games.
“Being positive about the pretty much from the things that have happened and so on, that’s how you can create an atmosphere – and it’s what we have to do as well.
“Apart from that, it’s Anfield. We don’t have to discuss it all the time, that it is completely different stuff without supporters.
“Football would not be the game it is if there were not supporters. We only love it because of the atmosphere and all that stuff, but this is now our situation. So we have to take that, we have to use that and that’s what we try.”
Klopp also revealed the players did not shower after the game as they are prepar
■ ing them for awkward situations should facilities be unavailable at away grounds.
He added: “The boys now go home and they didn’t have a shower.
“It was raining before the game so that would have been funny if there had been really hard rain and then you drive home in your own car.
“Our meeting was here in the boardroom. We want to have it like this and we can organise it differently at Anfield when we play here.
“But we have no clue how it’ll be at away games and we need to create awkward situations just to not be surprised.”