Fearless Marcus Rashford comes of age with reaction to early mistake at Wembley

Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford battled back from the worst possible start Credit: getty images

Gareth Southgate had felt compelled to replace Raheem Sterling with Marcus Rashford at half-time in Malta, such was the way in which the Manchester City winger had let an early error get the better of him.

The England manager may well have feared that he would be forced to make the opposite change just three minutes into what will surely prove to be the biggest game of his team’s World Cup qualifying campaign against Slovakia.

Rashford had gifted England’s Group F rivals the lead at Wembley and it was not just the blue shirts of the visitors that were bringing memories of Iceland flooding back.

But Rashford proved, aged 19, he is made of sterner stuff than Sterling and the some of the other England players, who have too often let fear consume them in recent years, by recovering to become the match-winner.

Maybe it was hearing that Ryan Giggs had compared him to Thierry Henry, or maybe it was simply the arrogance of youth. But whichever voice it was inside the head of Rashford that told him to try to nutmeg his way out of defence will be getting short shrift next time.

The error that allowed Stanislav Lobotka to put Slovakia ahead would have sent Rashford’s Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho apoplectic and Southgate was none too impressed with the goal.

While Rashford learned a hard early lesson, however, so did Southgate as he moved the teenager back into his favoured position and reaped the rewards.

There was context to the claim from Giggs that Rashford reminds him of Henry and there is a reason why Mourinho starts him on the left of a front three behind Romelu Lukaku.

Following Rashford’s impressive substitute cameo against Malta, Giggs said: “I see similarities with Thierry Henry myself, he’s brilliant off the left. Even if he’s playing centre-forward, he drifts off to the left where you can take players on either side.”

So why did Southgate start Rashford on the right of a four-man midfield, where he needed to take some defensive responsibility? He relishes coming in off the left to shoot with his right foot, something he can’t do from the right side. Starting him there for England was pretty much a lose-lose.

But rather than going into hiding or allowing anxiety to get the better of him, Rashford kept looking for the ball and taking responsibility.

Barely 60 seconds after gifting Slovakia the lead, he raced to the edge of the visitors’ area and shot just wide, and later found Dele Alli, but the Tottenham Hotspur star’s shot was deflected off target.

Marcus Rashford
Rashford rewarded his manager's faith in him Credit: reuters

Rashford was also brave enough to take corners, which have been an issue for England ever since Roy Hodgson put Harry Kane on them at last summer’s European Championships.

Not all of Rashford’s deliveries found their target, but he got one just right in the 38th minute and Eric Dier finished brilliantly to get England back on level terms.

Southgate altered his formation to send Rashford out to his favoured position on the left of a three playing behind Harry Kane.

It only took two minutes of the second half for Rashford to break out the tricks once again, but this time it was around the opposition penalty area and Alli should really have scored from his flicked pass.

Now he had the wind in his sails and it was no surprise that it was Rashford who gave England a precious lead to put them on the brink of qualification for Russia.

He collected a pass from captain Jordan Henderson, who had earlier reprimanded him for shooting instead of passing, and drove the ball past Slovakia goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

Rashford got a hug from Southgate as he left the pitch as man-of-the-match and there is no doubt there will be one waiting for him from Mourinho.

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