Marcus Rashford has enjoyed a new lease of life under Manchester United interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Regularly preferred to Romelu Lukaku up front, Rashford has repaid his manager’s faith with a string of excellent performances including a fine winning goal against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley. With five goals in his last seven games, Rashford has made himself one of Solskjaer’s first picks.
But former England manager Sam Allardyce has added a note of caution about the 21-year-old’s future, claiming he risks burn out and may not play at the highest level past the age of 30.
He is basing his theory on the number of games Rashford is likely to play including summer tournaments like the World Cup and the European Championships.
Asked on TalkSport if Rashford will play beyond the age of 27, the former Everton and Bolton manager said: “No. Probably very difficult to get to 30. Because of the demand, physically and mentally he will suffer.
“He will have three weeks a year off. That’s it. He’ll play all over the world because there’s no pre-season anymore they go playing straight away into these tournaments. He’ll play for his country in the summer and he’ll get barely three weeks off.”
Explaining his thinking, Allardyce added: “When you look at the wear and tear that is by 25, he will have niggles, even if he doesn’t have any major injuries. The knees, the ankles, the hips, the back will start being a little bit of a problem as he goes on.
“It won’t stop him playing but later on in life, it would bring his career to an end quicker than maybe before.”