Marcus Rashford believes that England’s opponents at Euro 2020 should be quaking at the prospect of facing their lethal attack.
England’s 4-0 win in Kosovo on Sunday night made it 37 goals from their eight games in the qualifying campaign, 38 for the calendar year.
Harry Kane notched his 32nd goal for his country in Pristina and netted in all eight games in Group A. The Tottenham striker now has 21 goals from 20 club and country appearances this season.
Rashford, too, scored in what in the end was a comfortable final Group A win for Gareth Southgate’s team, making it nine goals in ten games for the Manchester United striker since his resurgence in form.
It was Gareth Southgate’s forward line that again got his team out of potential trouble in Pristina, with England’s defence still looking vulnerable at times.
Between them Kane, Raheem Sterling and Rashford grabbed 23 of those 37 goals in qualifying – and Rashford insists the Three Lions’ attacking arsenal is a fearsome prospect.
Rashford said: “It is obviously a good combination – it is frightening what we can do as a group of attackers.
“If we go into the summer anywhere near the sort of form we have been in recently then it will be a successful tournament.
“We have got a couple more games leading up to the summer to improve as a team and sharpen up for the tournament – we want to go in there and give it our best shot at winning.”
Rashford, who now has eight goals for England, had a poor start to the season with only three goals in the first three months, and saw Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho start ahead of him in several England games – but now he looks as sharp as ever.
He said: “It has been a good month and a half but you take it a game at a time and just try and keep improving.
“It was a tough period, but now I’m getting consistent games and playing week in, week out and as a forward. That has huge importance, especially with chances.
“If you are not in the team you don’t have that confidence in front of goal. But when you are having a run it is important to come up with goods. Once you do start doing that it becomes second nature.”
His goal in Pristina was a cool finish from eight yards, and he said: “When I score those type of goals, or even tap-ins, it holds bigger importance because I know those are the type I need to get more of.
“The spectacular goals come every once in a while. But if you want to become a great goalscorer you have to score all types. That is the next step I am focusing on.”
As for England skipper and talisman Kane, he said: “For me, Harry’s finishing is second to none.
“If you want someone to rely on who is going to get you goals, he is the man for the job.
“So for us playing in and around him it gives us a lot of confidence, because if there is a game where you only get one chance, you know that if it falls to him it is more than likely going to be a goal. It does breed confidence throughout the team.
“And when you speak about being a leader, to lead by example is always the best way and he has been very good for England.”
Rashford, though, believes that having the likes of Sancho and now Tammy Abraham on their shoulders will keep England’s so far lethal front three on their toes.
“I have been in two tournaments now, and the squad is so important. We have to use that,” he added.
“Maybe it isn’t working in one game for that three, and you someone has to come in and make a difference. It is good competition.”
