England manager Thomas Tuchel has issued a strong warning to Marcus Rashford, noting that the wingers’ achievement, undoubted talent could still go to waste.
Manchester United academy graduate Rashford is currently in the phase of rebuilding his career after being deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford. Part of the ‘bomb squad’ at Old Trafford in the summer, Rashford is currently enjoying a loan spell at Barcelona.
The 27 years old has been putting up impressive performance for Hansi Flicks’ team and he’ll be hoping to make Tuchel’s squad for the next World Cup – with England on the verge of confirming qualification for that event.
Tuchel has now asked Rashford, who made his senior international debut in 2016, to put his experience to good use, having found consistency hard to come by in recent seasons.
Marcus Rashford is enjoying his loan spell at Barcelona (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
The former Chelsea manager said when discussing a forward that burst onto the scene with United at 18 years of age: “That is the headline for him. To keep on pushing himself to the limit. The limit for him is very, very high. Maybe higher than for others. He has the potential, but potential is a dangerous word with high-level sports. You have to reach your personal best on a regular basis. It’s not a question of talent, it’s a question of whether he can prove the point at club and international level. Whether he starts for us or comes off the bench he has to constantly prove himself.
“He can be one of the best in the world. The quality I see in training, the finishing with both legs and with the head. He is explosive, he is fast, he is strong in the air so where are the limits? There are no limits, but the numbers don’t reach the potential. He needs to push himself into goal involvements. That means goals and assists. He knows that from me.”
Marcus Rashford celebrates after scoring in the UEFA Champions League. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Rashford has registered 18 goals for England through 64 appearances. He has failed to reach double figures at club level across the last two campaigns, leading to him spending 18 months in the international wilderness before making Tuchel’s first squad as Three Lions manager in March 2025.
Tuchel added on Rashford’s redemption arc: “He is still on that. He still has to make these decisions. He is in that moment, he is young enough to take the right decisions and not let go. Otherwise, he will be disappointed in 10 years at what could have been and what he made of it.”
Currently enjoying his spell at Barcelona, Tuchel is pleased to see a proven performer step out of his comfort zone and challenge himself.
The German tactician said: “That was quite a bold move because to go in a working team, and a team that was well settled and played a hard-working style, that was a very, very good move for him and he settled in very quickly.
“And for the work-rate against the ball I selected him. And still he had not as many goals and not as many goal involvements as he could have. He creates quite a lot of chances, but for the quality and finishing that we see with training, he just doesn’t score enough. That’s the next step.”
Rashford will be eager to make an impression when England face Latvia in their 2026 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
