As one of the few England players not to return from Euro 2016 with their reputation in soiled tatters, Marcus Rashford will have been disappointed to find he was left out of new manager Sam Allardyce’s senior squad for his maiden game in charge.
As Wayne Rooney retained his place in the national team – and the captaincy – and then proceeded to wander with reckless abandon around the pitch against Slovakia, Rashford had to settle for a place in the England U-21 squad, as they took on Norway.
The Manchester United prodigy didn’t, however, let the demotion get to him. Quite the contrary; Rashford banged in a scintillating hat-trick against the Norwegians, scoring half of England’s final total in a 6-1 thrashing. An inferior opponent Norway may be, but Rashford’s performance was still worthy of hearty congratulations, and it only further reasserted his claim to a spot in the senior team.
Marcus Rashford has scored for @England under-21s. Wonder if our new England boss will ever be brave and veer away from tried and failed.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) 6 September 2016
When a change of manager occurs – particularly when it’s to Allardyce, a manager quite unlike most of England’s recent gaffers – a certain refreshment of the playing staff should follow. We are only in the very infancy of the Allardyce era, but the stodgy 1-0 victory over Slovakia – secured as the dying embers of the match were almost extinguished – did feel like more of the same. As Gary Lineker bemoaned Rashford’s absence from the senior set-up, and English fans everywhere gritted their teeth into dusty pegs, one wonders whether future is any brighter for the Three Lions.
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