Harry Maguire insists Man United teammate Marcus Rashford can become 'one of the best players in the world'

Harry Maguire has insisted that Manchester United teammate Marcus Rashford can become one of the best players in the world following his return to form for club and country.

Rashford is the joint-top scorer at the World Cup with three goals so far, and the 25-year-old also registered eight goals and three assists for United prior to the break in the domestic season.

After enduring a difficult campaign last term, the Englishman has been impressive under new manager Erik ten Hag this season and has helped the Reds move up to fifth in the Premier League table.

Maguire, who himself has struggled for minutes under Ten Hag, has lauded his teammate for playing with a smile on his face once again, before admitting that it would be a 'dream' to see Rashford win the golden boot in Qatar.

"I'm really pleased for Marcus. He has so much talent that I don't think he'll ever reach what his talent can get to. He's so talented that he could be one of the best in the world and I think he should strive for that," Maguire said, via TalkSport.

"Over the last year or so, it’s not just Marcus at Manchester United – we had a difficult year as a group and it affects people as individuals. This year he’s playing with a lot more freedom and a big smile on his face. We speak about him getting back to his best and I’m sure he will do.

"We’ve seen it this year. He’s become a lot more consistent with his goals and assists and he affects games. That’s the biggest thing. He’s always a goal threat. He’s always having chances."

Discussing Rashford's golden boot chances, Maguire added: "That would be the dream. I pray for that because that would probably mean we go very far in the tournament and give ourselves the best chance of winning."

Both Rashford and Maguire are expected to start for England in the Round of 16 clash against Senegal on Sunday evening, with the former having scored in the recent 3-0 victory over Wales.