Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford has named the toughest opponent of his career to date.
Rashford had his best goalscoring season at Old Trafford last term, netting 30 goals to fire United back into the Champions League.
But he admits that getting the upper hand over opponents isn’t always easy, with Man City full back and England team-mate Kyle Walker proving his biggest challenge.
Speaking to Gary Neville on the ‘Quickfire Questions’ section of The Overlap, Rashford was asked about his toughest opponent, and responded: ‘I would probably say Kyle Walker. His physical capabilities are just unbelievable so it’s always a tough day.
‘You have to try and catch him off-guard or in the wrong position, but even then he can recover. I just try and drift into places where he can’t drift and he has to pass me on.’
Rashford and Walker have gone up against each other on a regular basis in Manchester derbies over the years, with Rashford often playing on the left wing for United.
The 25-year-old was asked to play more centrally by Erik ten Hag at times last season, though, sparking a debate about his best position.
Rashford has revealed he still prefers playing out wide, and explained why to Neville.
‘Left wing,’ Rashford said when asked where he wants to play. ‘Although I feel like centre forward you’ve got less distance to cover to score simple goals, I do prefer left. Left is easier to stay in the game, and from when I was young I’ve always wanted to be involved in the game. That’s why I struggle playing centre forward sometimes because of my patience. You might not touch the ball for 20 minutes, and then your first touch might be an opportunity to score. You have to be mentally switched on. I never enjoyed that aspect of it, but as I’ve got older I’ve started to enjoy it a little bit more to play up there.’
Rashford has also played on the right for United, displaying his versatility as a forward. However, he concedes this is the position he has found most difficult to master.
‘The angles of the runs that you make in behind… most of my game is running in behind and trying to stretch defences and give space to some of the other players, and I feel like I run too far inside sometimes and then I’m running backwards to get the ball. Whereas on the left it’s more natural, feels more normal,’ he added.
United ended their six-year trophy drought in February by lifting the Carabao Cup, but they have had to watch Manchester City and Liverpool dominate domestic football in recent years, while both clubs have also won the Champions League.
City and Liverpool are viewed as United’s biggest rivals, but when it came to picking which one he dislikes more, it was a simple choice for Rashford.
‘Liverpool,’ he said, with no hesitation. ‘I don’t like none of them but I dislike Liverpool more.’
Share or comment on this article: Marcus Rashford tells Gary Neville which defender is his toughest opponent, where he prefers to play at Manchester United and who he dislikes more out of bitter rivals Liverpool and Manchester City.
