Akin Ayomide
England manager Thomas Tuchel has issued a warning to Marcus Rashford, urging the forward to consistently deliver at the highest level or risk looking back with regret later in his career.
According to Sky Sports on Tuesday, Tuchel praised Rashford’s natural talent and finishing ability but emphasized that potential alone is not enough in elite football.
According to him, Rashford has the potential to become one of the best forwards in world football, but is concerned that the Barcelona loanee could waste his talent.
The England head coach has also revealed he talks to Rashford regularly, warning him that he needs to score more and create more, otherwise he might regret missed opportunities when he is in the latter stages of his career.
Rashford has recorded three goals and four assists in his 10 appearances for the Spanish giants since leaving Manchester United on a temporary move this summer.
“He can be one of the best in the world because of the finishing and the quality. I think he still has to make these decisions. He is still young enough to make these decisions, because otherwise, he might be disappointed in 10 years with what he could have been and what he may have done.
“That is the headline for him, to keep pushing himself to the limit. And the limit for him is very, very high, maybe higher than it is for others.
“He has this potential. But potential is a dangerous word with high-level sports, because you have to reach your personal best regularly – that is demanded on this kind of level, and that is the challenge for him. It is not a question of talent.
“It is a question of whether he can prove the point at the club and international level; this is his task. If he starts fast or if he comes off the bench, he has to constantly prove himself.”
Rashford has been named in all but one of the squads Tuchel has opted for since his first game in charge back in March, with the summer internationals against Senegal and Andorra being the only games he has missed after picking up an injury to end the 2024/25 campaign while on loan at Aston Villa.