Marcus Rashford, a Manchester United forward, has explained how the goal that propelled him to a new personal milestone occurred. During our 3-0 Premier League victory over Leicester City, the Englishman scored his 23rd and 24th goals of the season in all competitions, the first of which surpassed his previous best tally for the club in a single campaign.
The 25-year-old scored in the 25th minute of the encounter after Bruno Fernandes played him in behind the defence. Bearing down on goal, he lifted his head briefly to evaluate the situation before looping the ball past a helpless Danny Ward in the Leicester goal. “I was going to pass it,” said Marcus, who talked with MUTV and Sky Sports after the game.
“I believe Garno [Alejandro Garnacho] made a terrific run, but the defender was inside of him. “So I took a look at the goalie, then at Garno, and decided that shooting across the goal was the best option. If the keeper saved it, he [Garnacho] might have an opportunity to touch it in on a rebound. “I was always going to go across goal there, but it was good for it to hit the back of the net.”
When asked if he has any specific goalscoring aims, Rashford replied, “I think you just keep going game by game.” I’ve set various monthly and weekly goals, but it’s crucial for me to stay focused on what matters most, which is the team winning games. “You’re not going to score every game, but you can be a big help to the team every game if you concentrate and work hard.”
He added that he is very confident in front of goal, saying: “Confidence is part of football, and you have to find it within yourself, but it can also be supplied by your team-mates, your manager, your family… simply your support system really. “I’m feeling good at the moment. I’m glad we’re involved in major games. The next game for us is a significant one, followed by another even larger one, so hopefully we can conclude what has been a good start to the week.”
Rashford’s second goal of the afternoon came on 56 minutes, when Fred split Leicester’s back line, leaving our number 10 free to slide the ball through Ward’s legs. It was first ruled out by the assistant referee’s flag, but VAR determined that he was level with the last defender when the Brazilian passed the ball forward. When asked about it, he said: “I believed I was onside because I could see the line and Fred’s pass timing was excellent.
“I felt fairly confident that it would be given. The ref stated it was close, but based on what I saw during the play, I knew it was onside.” The striker said that games like Thursday’s second leg of the play-off tie with Barcelona are motivating the squad onward. “I think it’s difficult not to keep pushing, we’re still early on in the season and we’re fighting for a lot of different things,” Rashford added.
“We have another big game in midweek to hopefully advance to the next round of the Europa League, followed by a massive game at the weekend, so there’s always something to push for and look forward to.” I don’t feel like slowing down; I’m only striving to better.”
