MARCUS RASHFORD admits he has struggled to cope with the attention of being a Manchester United star.
The 22-year-old has established himself as a key player for both club and country, having started out at the United academy.
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Playing weekly for one of the biggest clubs in the world brings enormous fame and adulation but he says it has been particularly challenging.
In an ATP Tour chat with two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, Rashford confessed: “I can’t say I’ve ever really enjoyed the attention off the pitch.
“That’s one thing growing up as a footballer that you never think about.
“You always think about playing in the first team and scoring goals for United or at Old Trafford or any stadium. But you forget how your life can change overnight.
“Things that you can do with your friends, things that you can do with your family, the places you can go, it all changes.
“And I probably wasn’t as prepared for that bit as I was the actual going on the pitch and playing.
“For me that bit was the easier bit. It obviously took a lot of hard work to get there but when the opportunity came up I felt ready to step up.”
In February 2016, Rashford rewarded the trust of boss Louis van Gaal by scoring twice on a spectacular first-team debut in a 5-1 Europa League win over Midtjylland.
He said: “I remember a couple of months before my debut I was on the bench and at that moment I didn’t feel ready. I didn’t feel like I belonged in the first team.
“You know that’s why timing is so important. I wasn’t ready to play that game so I think the manager knew what he was doing at the time.
“Van Gaal is very experienced with young players and he wanted to wait for the right time.
“When I made my debut it just felt natural, it just felt like I was playing with my normal team-mates.
“I just remember doing normal stuff like going to college about four days later.
“We had two games in three days and the next day after that I had college and there was press outside my college and I didn’t understand what the big fuss was all about.
“Because in my mind I was just going to college to finish what I started in that year.”
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.sportingexcitement.com/football/premier-league/monaco-left-back-fode-ballo-toure-identified-as-transfer-target-by-man-utd-to-challenge-luke-shaw-and-brandon-williams
