Rashford: U21 hat-trick gives Mourinho selection headache

Marcus Rashford hopes his hat-trick for the England under-21s will help him break into José Mourinho’s starting eleven at Manchester United.

Rashford made his debut for the England under-21 team last night, and the 18-year-old bagged a hat-trick to help Gareth Southgate’s men earn a 6-1 victory over Norway in Colchester last night.

After the game, Rashford was asked whether he thought his performance would give his club manager José Mourinho a selection headache ahead of the Manchester derby on Saturday (10 September).

“As a young player you want to make the manager make decisions,” Rashford told BT Sport.

Rashford is yet to start a competitive fixture since Mourinho took the reins at Old Trafford, but the youngster was brought off the bench in the Red Devils last game before the international break against Hull City, and scored a 92nd minute winner at the KCOM Stadium.

The United academy product only made his senior debut in late February, bagging a brace in a Europa League tie against FC Midtjylland, and again scored twice on his Premier League bow the following weekend against Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Rashford was given his full England debut in a pre-Euro 2016 friendly against Australia in May, where he again found the net – this time in only the second minute of the match.

Rashford scored the only goal of United’s victory over Manchester City at the Etihad last season, and he’ll be hoping to do the same at Old Trafford at the weekend.