How Manchester United interim manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is making a legend out of Marcus Rashford

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Marcus Rashford could become a one-club legend at Manchester Unitedand has challenged him to emulate Cristiano Ronaldo’s goalscoring techniques.

Rashford lashed in his 11th of the season to send United through to the Champions League quarter-finals against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday with what was his first goal in over a month.

The 21-year-old began Solskjaer’s reign as the centre forward but Romelu Lukaku’s streak of six goals in three games has pushed Rashford back to the flank. Former United youth coach Paul McGuinness challenged Rashford to be more like the prolific Ruud van Nistelrooy, who plundered 150 goals in 219 games for United, before the United academy graduate made his debut.

Solskjaer, who struck up a fruitful partnership with Van Nistelrooy during the Dutchman’s first season at United, admitted he has been ‘battering’ Rashford to be more potent in training.

“That’d be fantastic,” he said of the possibility of Rashford staying at Old Trafford for the rest of his career. “The legends we’ve had at this club that have stayed so long and been one-club players, and we hope Rashy’s gonna be one of them.

“It’s both up to him and us, if he keeps producing he’ll stay in the team and that’s up to him, to stay in the team. You don’t see too much of change in a player in three months but he’s 21 and you’re excused if sometimes you really hit the highs and are a little bit off the pace. And, to be fair to Rashy, you don’t expect consistency yet in all of the play. But he’s always got quality, his finishing, his striking of the ball, his attitude, that’s always gonna be with him.

“I keep battering him with it that he should also score as many goals as Rom after training sessions have finished, you should always get them simple tap-ins, like Rom scored in last few games.

“Rashy’s goals are sometimes worldies and he does have a sensational strike of the ball, but you see the improvement and maturity in Cristiano’s goals from when he was young to now, he scores more from inside the box and that’s what Rashy has to improve as well.

His tap-ins, his movement, stay in the box, maybe not get away from centre-backs a few more times. That’ll just have to get those five or 10 extra goals just from staying in the box. And he’s been told that!”

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