For all his failings as Manchester United boss, Louis van Gaal got it spot-on with Marcus Rashford.

There may have been a touch of good fortune about Rashford’s promotion to the first-team but, once there, Van Gaal knew there could be no shifting him.

The 18-year-old duly responded with crucial goals, including the winner in a Manchester derby , vindicating Van Gaal’s decision to keep faith with him despite his relative inexperience.

Van Gaal left in the summer so his successor, Jose Mourinho, must now decide whether to hand Rashford his first start under him in Saturday’s potentially epic showdown with neighbours City at Old Trafford.

The Special One has so far resisted that, but after the teenager’s stunning hat-trick for England Under-21s on Tuesday, which came on the back of his late winner for United at Hull in the last game before the international break, there is a compelling case to play him from the start .

England's new boss Sam Allardyce was left looking foolish after dropping Rashford from his first squad — a decision compounded by the national team’s struggle to edge a late 1-0 win over 10-man Slovakia on Sunday.

Mourinho will not want to make the same mistake, with Rashford - supremely confident and seemingly scoring for fun - desperate for the chance to continue where he left off for club and country.

The United manager has already spoken of Rashford’s maturity beyond his years, both on and off the pitch, and knows the youngster will not be fazed by anything he encounters.

“If the quality is very good, you forget about the passport,” Mourinho said of him. “He has the perfect head for an 18-year-old — very stable, not in the moon, so I think he has everything.”

Rashford came off the bench to win United's last game before the international break (
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Action Images via Reuters)

Former United forward Lou Macari, now a pundit for the club's MUTV channel, admitted Rashford almost single-handedly kept the Reds' season alive last-term, with his free-scoring heroics and match-winning displays.

But he said Mourinho will not have been swayed by Rashford’s U21 goal-rush and that if the youngster does start in the derby, it will be because of a carefully-considered plan made well in advance.

“Marcus may start on Saturday,” said Macari. “That would surprise me, because it’s been a settled side this season, with three wins from three games.

“United’s starting line-up hasn’t been a great surprise to anyone, and the team has really picked itself since then on the back of those games.

“But I don’t think Jose’s mind will be made up by a hat-trick in the Under-21s, because that’s not telling him anything he didn’t already know about Marcus.

Rashford got his first against Norway U21s after half an hour... (
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The FA via Getty)
...grabbed another — England's fourth — after 65 minutes' play... (
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The FA via Getty)
...and completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot six minutes later (
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The FA via Getty)

“Marcus doesn’t need to prove anything. Jose is well aware what the kid is capable of and what he can bring to the team if called upon.

“He was doing the same kind of thing last season, when he basically kept our season alive.”

An injury to Anthony Martial in the warm-up before a Europa League tie against FC Mitdjylland in February handed Rashford his chance and how he took it, scoring twice on his debut.

He followed that up with another double against Arsenal in his first Premier League match and ended the season with an impressive haul of nine goals from 18 appearances, Van Gaal having kept faith with his raw talent and being rewarded on the pitch for doing so.

Van Gaal only turned to Rashford in desperation, but saw enough to stick with him (
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Getty)

If Rashford does get the Derby Day nod, he is likely to again replace Martial, who has had a difficult start to the season with United, despite scoring for France during the international break.

The youngster’s heroics against Hull and for the Under-21s have given Mourinho a selection dilemma, knowing he has a young striker brimming with confidence and playing without fear.

Former England striker Michael Owen , who played at United for three seasons towards the end of his career, burst onto the scene at a similar age to Rashford and admitted he also had no fear.

“When I was 18, I feared nothing,” says Owen, in a new book on Liverpool entitled Ring of Fire . “I just did it.

"It didn’t matter who I was playing against.

“I had an unshakeable self-belief. Nothing bothered me. The prospect of scoring against Argentina at the World Cup?

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"It felt natural.”

That is precisely Rashford’s mindset right now — which is why Mourinho could do a lot worse than embrace the fearlessness of youth and hand him his chance to shine on Saturday in the most eagerly-awaited game of the season.

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