Marcus Rashford was a surprise inclusion in Roy Hodgson's 26 man provisional Euro squad, but after impressing on his England debut the Manchester United starlet was then selected for the full squad.
On Tuesday, the final 23-man squad was selected with Danny Drinkwater, Andros Townsend and Fabian Delph missing out, with Rashford included. The 18-year-old has rose to prominence with his displays for United, notably scoring against Arsenal and Manchester City as well as European ties.
After getting the nod from the England boss to debut for his country last Friday, Rashford repaid the faith by scoring inside four minutes eventually England beating Australia 2-1.
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Speaking ahead of the Portugal friendly, Hodgson acknowledged it wasn't easy to leave out the players he did, yet believes in the ability Rashford possesses, claiming; "Rashford's had a fantastic end to the season. He has special qualities. It will be interesting to see in a squad of 23 whether can show those qualities."
Continuing to add; "It was a very difficult choice. It was tough and in some ways I am satisfied I have the 23 I want to take. "The balance is good. If anything, it is tilted towards an offensive approach. We believe defending is a team job."
Fellow United teammate and England skipper, who also was on the score sheet against Australia, chimed in, too, on the budding prospect, saying;
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"The way he took coming into the Manchester United team and the way he has performed has been incredible. He showed what he can do in his first game for England, within a few minutes. What is pleasing is his attitude. That has shown at the hotel and on the training pitch. He could be a real positive. It is great for the team and the squad as we have options with strikers and midfield."
England play their final warm-up game on Thursday evening against Portugal at Wembley before heading to France.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: England, Marcus Rashford, Roy Hodgson