Alan Shearer has heaped praise on one England star who could have proved the doubters wrong in their World Cup opener against Iran.
England defeated Iran 6-2 in what is likely to be one of the highest-scoring games of the World Cup. Bukayo Saka was awarded man of the match after scoring a brace, and deservedly so, but Shearer has singled out Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford after his short cameo off the bench.
“There was a lot of debate about whether he should have been in the squad; what an answer. It was fantastic play off Harry Kane, the way he brings that ball down and then puts it to him. Again, it looks effortless, he makes it look so easy, but it’s not,” said Shearer, speaking about Rashford to BBC Sport, as relayed by the Express.
As Shearer mentioned, there was plenty of debate as to whether Rashford should be in the England squad for the World Cup but he proved his worth in the second half, scoring off the bench with a composed finish.
Rashford offers something a little different to England’s crop of wingers. His directness, pace, and unpredictability will make him a useful option for Gareth Southgate during the tournament.
Usually we see Rashford operating from the left-hand side of a front three, but Southgate opted to bring him on in a right-wing role, proving his versatility.