England head coach Thomas Tuchel believes Marcus Rashford has the attributes to become one of the best players in world football but has urged the forward to translate his talent into consistent end product.
Rashford joined Barcelona on loan in July after falling out of favour at Manchester United under Ruben Amorim, who publicly questioned the 27-year-old’s work rate and discipline. Since moving to Spain, Rashford has made a positive start, registering three goals and five assists in 10 appearances across all competitions.
Speaking ahead of England’s World Cup qualifier against Latvia on Tuesday, Tuchel praised Rashford’s ability but stressed that talent alone is not enough at the highest level.
“The ceiling for Marcus is very high – higher than for most,” Tuchel said on Monday. “But potential is a dangerous word in elite sport. You have to deliver your personal best consistently. This is not about talent – he has that. It’s about proving it at both club and international level.”
Tuchel highlighted Rashford’s all-round attacking threat but insisted his goal contributions must improve if he is to evolve into a truly elite forward.
“He can finish with both feet, he’s strong in the air, explosive, fast – so where are the limits? There are no limits. But right now, the numbers don’t reflect the potential. He needs to push himself to be involved in more goals – goals and assists define top forwards.”
England currently lead Group K, and victory in Riga against Latvia would secure their place at next year’s World Cup finals in North America. Tuchel is expected to involve Rashford, who has 18 goals in 64 England caps, as he continues to fine-tune his squad ahead of qualification.
