Zlatan Ibrahimovic has said that Manchester United team-mate Marcus Rashford needs time to develop his game further, but there will come a time where the striker “will take over everything”.
The 18-year-old has set the world alight since making his debut for United in a Europa League tie in February, following a debut brace with seven more goals for club and country, which earnt him a call-up to the England squad for Euro 2016, where he performed admirably.
However, the England international has found playing time harder to come by under José Mourinho this season, playing just over an hour for the Reds in four Premier League games so far.
Although the clamour for the Wythenshawe-born man to start has increased after a hat-trick for the England under-21s midweek and a stellar half in the Manchester derby on Saturday, Ibrahimovic believes that Mourinho is taking the correct approach with Rashford by slowly bedding him into a regular first-teamer.
Speaking to MUTV, the Swedish striker said:
First of all, he’s 18, he’s still young. He has a lot of time. I think the way you have to approach a player like that, where everyone is talking about the talent and what he’s able to do and what kind of potential he has, is to remember he still has a lot of time.
It’s not like he needs to take over the world today, the club knows that, the coach knows that and the team knows that.
We know his quality and what he’s able to do. What the world is seeing now, we already know because we see it every day.
There is no need to rush to push him and put him in the heat zone and put a lot of pressure on him because that can have the opposite effect. Time by time, he will take over everything. It’s about having patience.
Ibrahimovic scored once again in United’s 2-1 derby defeat to City on Saturday, taking him to five goals in five appearances for United. His impressive start to life at Old Trafford has reportedly convinced club officials to tie him down to a longer-term deal.
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