'A step down from Kane or Salah' - Carragher in Rashford admission

Stuart Telford

• 24 Feb 2023 20:17 GMT
• 3 min read

Marcus Rashford has been on fire for Manchester United this season, scoring 24 goals in all competitions, but is he world class?

Rashford has been perhaps the biggest winner of the Erik ten Hag era at Old Trafford, with David de Gea and Diogo Dalot also lifting their levels since the Dutchman replaced Ralf Rangnick as manager last summer.

Ten Hag wasted little time in side-lining Cristiano Ronaldo - who eventually joined Al Nassr on €200 million a year after giving an explosive interview to Piers Morgan - and the jury was out on whether it was brave or stupid to back Rashford as his leading man.

READ: EXCLUSIVE: Ten Hag's £350m Man Utd summer transfer plans already taking

The England international had only scored five goals from 32 games last season, and his time at United looked to be drawing to a close.

But he has been playing like a man reborn this season, whether leading the line or starting out wide, with his 24 goals and nine assists coming in at a rate of one goal-involvement every 84 minutes he has played.

Former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher admits that he was wrong about Rashford, but has stopped short of describing him as world class.

READ: What does Marcus Rashford’s celebration mean?

Carragher: 'Rashford always below Kane, Salah, Mane'

"He has always been a level below Harry Kane, Mohammed Salah or Sadio Mane when he was at Liverpool in my eyes," Carragher wrote in his Telegraph column.

"If he reproduces this form season-after-season, he will deserve to be called world class."

Carragher did however say that Rashford is on course to be named PFA Player of the Year this season.

"It has been obvious for months that the most likely winner of PFA Player of the Year is a prolific forward who cannot stop scoring in Manchester.

"Step aside Erling Haaland. Marcus Rashford is currently producing performances of a complete Premier League striker."