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'We need to get him into right areas of the pitch' - Southgate on Rashford

  /  autty

Gareth Southgate believes Marcus Rashford is best used as a wide man rather than as a No.9 as he encouraged the Manchester United attacker to play to his strengths.

"Marcus is still relatively young. Over the last 12 to 18 months with us he's had a big impact on our games with a number of goals and assists. So, I think he's still a work in progress. A lot of his development at United was as a wide raider and he isn't as strong as Harry with his back to goal and holding play up.

“A lot of his best work is in that inside-left channel, coming in off the line, and I don't think that's a problem. I just think we have to be aware that's probably his profile and to get the best out of him they are the areas of the pitch that we need to get him into regularly.

“I think he can threaten teams in behind more. When he opens his legs and he runs in behind defences that's the last place they want to be. What happened with the penalty [for England's second goal], that's what you want to see. Sometimes he wants to come to the ball [when] I'd be happy with that as a defender. We are encouraging our players to use their strengths.”