Not many people would be able to understand what Marcus Rashford has experienced in the past few weeks.
The 18 year old has come from obscurity to become something of a cult figure for Manchester United, scoring four goals in two games at Old Trafford after getting his chance following injuries to first-team players.
The striker’s last few weeks have been the stuff of dreams. But now comes the hard part – maintaining his place in the team, and adapting to the new-found pressure and heightened expectations.
One player who can relate to Rashford’s rise is Federico Macheda. The Italian scored a dramatic winner for United against Aston Villa back in 2009, aged 17, and found the net again in his next game away to Sunderland.
That was as good as it got for Macheda at Old Trafford though, and he has some words of advice for Rashford. “Marcus needs to continue working hard, don’t grow a big head, don’t read or listen to all the hype and be lucky with injuries,” the 24 year old Cardiff City striker told the Sun.
“The kid has got a great chance to play more than I had, so he must stay as calm and hungry as he is now. United will look after him — so everything is stacked in his favour.”