Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has lavished praise on Marcus Rashford, as the youngster proved his class again in the FA Cup win over West Ham United.
United progressed to the semi-finals after a 2-1 win at Upton Park on Wednesday night, with Rashford and Marouane Fellaini scoring the goals to set up a meeting with Everton in the last four.
It was a crucial result for the Red Devils, and particularly Van Gaal, who revealed that he joined United to win trophies and is desperate to do so this season with the FA Cup.
However, with Rashford again finding the back of the net with a sensational finish to take his tally to six goals in 11 appearances in all competitions so far this season, the Dutchman couldn’t help but reveal how impressed he is with the 18-year-old’s approach and desire to improve.
“[Rashford] is very focused on his work and that I admire, when you are so young and there is so much attention. He is scoring so many goals and important goals,” Van Gaal said, as reported by Sky Sports.
“He can cope with criticism also and he can say about himself, ‘yes manager you are right and I have to do that’. I think it is fantastic because there are not a lot of players who can see their self-image.”
It is in stark contrast to the weekend’s reports that Van Gaal singled out the youngster for criticism during their 3-0 loss to Tottenham, which led to reports of dressing room unrest, as noted by The Independent.
If true, it is another sign of Rashford’s maturity despite his age to react to criticism and respond with a much improved performance. In turn, it will likely only further endear him to United supporters who will have a growing belief that they have another young star developing in front of them.