Thomas Tuchel has warned Marcus Rashford not to waste his potential, with the Barcelona forward – on loan from Manchester United – in line for an England start against Latvia on Tuesday night.
The Three Lions will qualify for the World Cup next summer with a victory at the at the Daugava Stadium in Riga.
Since Tuchel’s appointment as manager, Rashford has come back into the England fold after an initial loan spell at Aston Villa last season, before joining Barcelona on loan this term.
His time in Spain has yielded three goals and five assists in 10 games so far and Tuchel has challenged the forward to keep his form going as he is not too old to achieve his ‘very-high potential’ which could see him ‘be one of the best in the world’.
Speaking on Monday ahead of the Latvia match, the England head coach said of Rashford: ‘I think the limit for him is very high. Maybe higher than for others. He has the potential, but potential is a dangerous word with high-level sports.
‘You have to reach your personal best on a regular basis, that is what is demanded on this kind of level and that is the challenge for him.
Marcus Rashford has been told not to waste his talent by England head coach Thomas Tuchel
Tuchel says Rashford is still young enough to ‘be one of the best in the world’
‘It’s not a question of talent, it’s a question of whether he can prove the point at club and international level.
‘He can be one of the best in the world because of the quality I see in training, the finishing with both legs and with the head.
‘He is explosive, he is fast, he is strong in the air, so where are the limits? There are no limits – but the numbers don’t reach the potential, it is as easy as that.
‘He is still young enough (27 years old) to take the right decisions and not let go. Because otherwise he will be disappointed in 10 years at what could have been and what he made of it.’
