Discover the top 20 Premier League stars under the age of 21
By Tushar Bahl
1. Marcus Rashford
It’s fair to say that 2016 was the year of Marcus Rashford. The 19-year-old made his debut in February 2016 only after a warm-up injury to Anthony Martial. The injury ended up being a blessing in disguise for both Manchester United and Rashford as the striker bagged two goals in the Europa League tie to send United through to the next round.
He became the youngest player to score for United in a European competition, beating a record previously held by George Best. Days later, on his Premier League debut Marcus Rashford scored twice and provided an assist in the 3-2 win over Arsenal.
In March Rashford became the youngest player to score in the Manchester Derby when he scored the winner for United aged just 18 years and 141 days. In May, 2016 Rashford signed a new contract with United until 2020. He also came runner-up to Renato Sanches in the Golden Boy award for 2016.
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Rashford’s rise led to an England call-up for the young striker in the Euro 2016 squad. He scored on his England debut in a warm-up game against Australia, becoming the third youngest player to score for England. Rashford also became the youngest player to represent England at the Euros as England were eliminated in the Round of 16.
Rashford has continued his great rise this season. He notably scored the late winner for Manchester United against Hull City in August. In all, Rashford has scored 12 goals in 33 games for United. Rashford is on the path to a great career for both club and country. He is pacy, clinical, and has a natural knack for scoring. Rashford could well follow in the footsteps of the likes of George Best, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wayne Rooney and become a United legend.