England manager Gareth Southgate issued a cautionary message to Marcus Rashford, stressing the need for him to “battle” and demonstrate hard work to earn his spot in the squad for the Euro 2024 tournament.
Gareth Southgate warns Rashford of stiff competition
Southgate highlighted the intense competition Rashford faces from emerging talents like Anthony Gordon, Cole Palmer, and Phil Foden, underscoring the importance of maintaining consistent performance.
Despite a tough season with just seven goals in 34 appearances for Manchester United, Rashford has been named in England’s latest 25-man squad for the preparatory friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.
Southgate believes in Rashford’s abilities
Southgate has voiced his belief in Rashford’s capabilities and anticipates an improvement in his performance leading up to the Euros.
“Well, (Rashford) has a battle on his hands with (Anthony) Gordon, with (Cole) Palmer, with (Phil) Foden, so we’ve got big competition for places in that area of the field,” Southgate said, as cited by the independent.
“What happens while players are with their clubs matters because they know the full story, they know exactly what’s gone on. Obviously we observe everything, we don’t miss anything.
“I don’t say behaviours off the field are irrelevant because clearly they’re not. But the key thing is we are mainly focusing on the performances on the field.
“He’s got big competition and so has Jack”, he added.
