Romelu told Rash ‘this is your time’

ROMELU Lukaku told Marcus Rashford ‘this is your time’ before the striker fired United into the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

Rashford showed nerves of steel to dispatch a 94th-minute penalty after Presnel Kimpembe was punished for a handball in the box following Diogo Dalot’s long-range strike.

Lukaku was on a hat-trick in the Parc des Princes after his opportunistic first-half brace and, in the absence of first-choice penalty taker Paul Pogba, the Belgian looked to be a contender to take the crucial spot-kick.

However, it was Rashford who stepped up to lash the ball into the top corner and after the match Lukaku revealed what he told his fellow forward after the penalty was awarded.

“I was happy that he scored. He came to me and wanted to shoot,” Lukaku told beIN Sports. “I said ‘man, this is your time. Do it for yourself and us’.”

Speaking in a separate post-match interview, United’s No.9 said he expects the club’s interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to remain in charge of United on a permanent basis.

“I know he’s going to stay, there’s no doubt about that,” Lukaku told Viasport. “He wants to stay, the players want him to stay. We’re doing really well, we’re playing like Manchester United should play.

“He’s a young coach, he has young players as well so it’s the perfect environment to develop and hopefully win trophies in the future.”