EPL legend Solskjaer believes it's an 'honour' to have Rashford at Manchester United
EPL legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says it's an 'honour' to have Marcus Rashford at Manchester United ahead of their clash versus Tottenham Hotspur. Rashford used the lockdown period to help raise money for children in England suffering due to a lack of food and resources. The EPL forward began a campaign to convince the government to spend over £120m to deliver free meals for underprivileged children.
EPL giants United mark their return to football after a 100-day absence with a trip to North London. Speaking at a pre-game press conference, head coach Solskjaer lauded the 22-year-old for everything he's achieved over the last three months.
Rashford is a 'top, top human being,' says United and EPL legend Solskjaer
When asked about the 22-year-old United academy product, Solskjaer began;
"I think it's an honour to have Marcus [Rashford] and what he's done during the lockdown has been unbelievable. He can help so many kids, he's just shown he's taken from his own experience when he was a kid and knows how much it feels."
The 47-year-old manager continued,
"As his [Rashford] manager as well it's been fantastic to follow Marcus during the lockdown period, we got the Prime Minister to change his mind but also what he's done over the last months, Marcus is such a top, top human being."
The Red Devils currently lie fifth on the EPL table, three points behind Frank Lampard's Chelsea. They would hope to beat Chelsea to fourth place as Champions League qualification is of paramount importance for Solskjaer's side.
Although the Norwegian has had an excellent record against the big teams in the division, his side have struggled against bottom-half EPL teams regularly. Rashford, in particular, has been one of the EPL giants' stand-out players this year, especially against the top six teams.
Solskjaer continued on how the EPL star has always been a superb human being, and that was evident from the very beginning. He said;
"Marcus [Rashford] has always been a great human being, coming up through the Academy. The club recognised that early on, gave him chances, the talent, but you need to be a human being to come all the way. He's changed the lives of so many kids this summer which is more important than any game he'll play. So hopefully he can keep both sides going as well as he is doing now."
The EPL manager also confirmed that both Rashford and star midfielder Paul Pogba are available for selection. While Rashford has missed a majority of games in 2020, the EPL's most expensive signing was out of action since late 2019 — having missed over 35 games for the club this campaign. His return is sure to boost the squad significantly.
Solskjaer, however, is concerned about how long the will be able to play for. He said;
"If selected, Marcus [Rashford] and Paul [Pogba] have been out for a long long period, but they're available. So [it's about] how long they're going to play for, let's see."
The former EPL striker also confirmed that the only two absentees for their trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe.