by Marcus Rashford was hailed as one of the best strikers in the world by Nicky Butt, a coach who watched him progress through the ranks at Manchester United.
Rashford has had an incredible run at United Erika ten Haga, netting 17 times since the World Cup ended in late December.
Now a former treble winner at United, Butt – who runs the Old Trafford academy when Rashford burst onto the scene in February 2016 – believes the 25-year-old has the world at his feet.
“I’m delighted with him,” Butt told Sportsmail.
“Last Sunday I was sitting with my son at Wembley and he asked me if I always thought Marcus would be this good.
Nicky Butt has called the fit Marcus Rashford one of the best strikers in the world
Butt (right) was in charge of Manchester United’s academy when Rashford (left) took the stage
“I said yes, that in my opinion it would be unbelievable. He always was. Anyone could train him. He was always going to be a top player.
“He’s had some tough years, but that depends on what you call some tough years. He’s done a lot of incredible things off the pitch. If I’m being honest, people around him were pushing it more than football. This is my opinion.
But when it comes to soccer talent, he is as good as anyone in the world at what he does.
“He has to believe it, and now I think he’s starting to believe it too.”
Rashford has emerged from a difficult period he had at United last season when he felt his club career was heading in the wrong direction.
Butt added, “He’s always been a little reserved and a little deep. But always such a talented player.
“When you watch a game you always focus on one player and he has always been the one. As a coach you have to look at all of them, but he’s always attracted to you.
‘What he is doing? What’s his move? What does he do when he has the ball and when he doesn’t? What does he do when he misses an opportunity? What does he do when a free kick or penalty kick comes?
Butt – now chief executive of Salford City – says he does not deserve credit for Rashford’s appearance
“He was the one I always wanted to go up to and take him. It was the same with Ryan (Giggs) and all the best I’ve played with. They’re the ones who always move forward and they’re the ones who become superstars.
Butt left United two years ago and is now chief executive at Salford City in League Two. He claims he doesn’t deserve credit for Rashford’s appearance.
“Nothing ever depends on one person, right?” he added.
“Marcus and those boys started with United at the age of seven. So all those people who worked with them on Thursday nights and Saturday mornings.
“They worked with these kids as much, if not more, than anyone else. But they never get a mention. I don’t like that if you sit on top you get all the praise. I would never want that.
“Paul McGuinness did more with Marcus than I ever did, but just because I was driving at the time it all came to me. When you lead something, you just carry the baton, and that baton should never change. All you do is add one more badge. I wouldn’t say I left anything behind.
The United treble winner also claimed it was always obvious to him that Rashford would be a star – he played for the United under-18s against Stoke in 2014
“I was hoping I picked up the baton well enough and passed it on to the next one to improve and improve and improve.
“For me, when people sit around and say, ‘We’ve done a great job of letting players X, Y and Z through,’ that’s not right.
“To bring this eight-year-old boy to the first team, it probably takes 50 people. You don’t need a leader at the top.
“It’s nice to hear it and see it on social media. “Oh, Nicky Butt ran those players,” but well, you know…
