Manchester United's Marcus Rashford Plays Down Cristiano Ronaldo Comparison
December 13, 2019
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has played down comparisons between himself and former Red Devils star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Rashford is on course for his best-ever season, with his haul of 10 goals in the Premier League already matching his previous highest total.
Given his form, there's been plenty of buzz around the United No. 10 and earlier in the week, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said it's "very easy to compare" Rashford and Ronaldo, as they have "skills, body shape, attitude, attributes—everything."
Speaking ahead of the clash with Everton in the Premier League on Sunday, a match in which United are set to include a homegrown player in the squad for the 4,000th consecutive game, Rashford discussed his development and the subsequent comparisons to the Juventus star, per BBC Sport:
"It's happening now where people like me and Scotty [McTominay] are an example to some of the academy lads who are coming in. It will be the same in a few years' time, when it's the next lot of kids. While that happens, I don't see United's breeding of players slowing down.
"The Ronaldo thing was nice, definitely a compliment. But I understand how far I've got left to go to reach the heights he reached so I am very clear-minded and focused on myself."
Per ESPN FC, Ronaldo had a similar goalscoring record to Rashford when he was the same age at Old Trafford:
Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News compared Rashford's current campaign with Ronaldo's own breakout season:
Of course, Rashford has a long way to go before he can be considered in the same bracket as the 34-year-old Portuguese. Ronaldo went on to become the best player in the world at United, before excelling in nine years at Real Madrid, winning the UEFA Champions League four times.
Ronaldo has also won the Ballon d'Or on five occasions, cementing his status as arguably the finest goalscorer of his generation and one of the best players of all time.
Rashford clearly has a long way to go before he reaches those levels, but his development is definitely on an upward trajectory at the moment. Per Squawka Football, throughout his senior career the forward has always shown an appetite for the big occasion:
The key for Rashford in the coming months is consistency. So frequently the forward has enjoyed purple patches of form and appeared set to kick on, only to see his standards sag.
With a role cemented in the side on the left flank, the backing of his manager and a renewed confidence in himself, it feels as though this improved version of Rashford may be here to stay.