Rashford: We Channelled Our Emotions

Marcus Rashford says the Manchester United players channelled their emotions in Stockholm, in the wake of the terror attack back home, to claim the UEFA Europa League title.

Goals from Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan ensured the Reds beat AFC Ajax 2-0 at the Friends Arena to secure a third trophy in Jose Mourinho's first season in charge and complete the club's all-time collection of major honours. The triumph came less than 48 hours after the appalling tragedy at the Manchester Arena.

"It's difficult to go into a game when something like that has happened," Rashford told MUTV.

"There are a lot of emotions but I think you have to take those emotions and turn them into a positive. Everyone did that and I think you could see how it brought us all together."

The success in Sweden means United's next European fixture will be the UEFA Super Cup match against either Juventus or Real Madrid on 8 August. Champions League football will swiftly follow in September, fulfilling an ambition that Rashford and his team-mates began the current 64-match campaign with.

"Yes, that's where we wanted to be when this season started in August," admitted the 19-year-old, who became the youngest Englishman to start a major European final since Nottingham Forest's Gary Mills in 1980.

"It's been a long season, we've played a lot of games. We've not had a lot of players in the squad due to injury but everyone pushed through and we've done it.

"Winning the Europa League final was not just about who scored the goals or the players that played against Ajax," added Rashford. "It was about all of us that have worked so hard to get to this point."

Jesse Lingard echoed the thoughts of his team-mate and said the players were well aware of the significance of their victory for the city of Manchester, as well as its importance to the club.

"It's a dark time and we knew we had to win to give something back to Manchester," Lingard told MUTV.

"Manchester is a great city. At times like this, we have to come together. It's going to take a lot of work but it's a great city and we have to come together. Other cities and other countries can recognise that."

As for matters on the pitch, Jesse concluded: "It's been a long season. Coming out of it at the end with another trophy is what everyone has pushed each other to do."