Cole Offers Advice To Rashford

Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole has passed on some words of advice to Marcus Rashford as he expects the youngster to continue his rapid progress next season in attack for the Reds.

Rashford appeared in more games than any of his colleagues last term and was particularly key to the successful run in the Europa League. As he prepares for England's World Cup qualifier against Scotland, the 19-year-old has certainly handled his meteoric rise to stardom.

Any fears of a problematic second season were dismissed and he eventually forced himself into the side on a regular basis, leading the line with maturity following Zlatan Ibrahimovic's injury.

"He keeps learning and keeps progressing," Cole told MUTV at the launch of the Legends game against Barcelona at Old Trafford on 2 September. "I think the start of the season was tough for him but what I liked about him was he went back to basics.

"How he got into the team was by getting in behind and stretching teams because no team likes players running in behind. He's got pace in abundance and, from there, he gets enough space in his feet to run at people and, when he got back in the team, I thought he did really well.

"He is looking more and more like a centre-forward, aiming to get more and more goals, and he has got to be more clinical but that will come with age. He is only a baby. He's learned from some good players, Zlatan and Wayne Rooney, and you've got to learn off players like that. It's about taking bits of their game and adding it to your game so, come next season, he'll be even better for it.

"The experience is a good thing and, as a young man, all you've got to keep doing now is to keep your feet firmly on the floor. How can I keep learning? How can I become a better player? How can I add different things to my game. I think the players he has around him will help him do just that."

Rashford's close friendship with Jesse Lingard is akin to the one Cole enjoyed with Dwight Yorke during their time at Old Trafford but the Treble-winner accepts strike partnerships are becoming a thing of the past. Cole was also part of another of the most iconic strike pairings in Premier League history, with Peter Beardsley at Newcastle United, but realises the current trend is to operate with a different formation.

When the dearth of strike partnerships in the current division was put to him, he replied: "Not at the moment because everyone seems to play one up front. When you do get two players up front or one just in behind and it works, everyone talks about it and rightly so.

"The game will always keep moving on but it's about playing together and trying to get as many goals as possible and for the team to be winning.

"Marcus does look really close to Jesse and you can see it when they're playing as well. I think, come next season, Marcus will be more experienced, and Jesse as well, and their combination will get even better."