Neville claims Rashford emulated Ronaldo with 100th Man Utd goal, as Saha backs up why comparison is correct
Marcus Rashford took a leaf out of the Cristiano Ronaldo book when putting Manchester United in the lead against West Ham on Sunday, according to Gary Neville and Louis Saha.
Manchester United went 1-0 up in the 38th minute when Rashford headed home a cross from Christian Eriksen. It brought up the academy graduate’s 100th goal for the club at senior level.
Somewhat rarely for Rashford, it came via his head. But the technique he showed in powering the ball home suggested it is something he can become much more reliable with.
Rashford was starting as a left winger for Manchester United, whose manager Erik ten Hag brought Ronaldo back into the starting lineup as a centre-forward.
But it was the Englishman who managed to get on the end of Eriksen’s cross into the box and plant it home.
During commentary duties for Sky Sports, though, Neville suggested Rashford’s goal was “just like” what Ronaldo has mastered over the course of his career.
Neville said: “There was a header earlier on in the half from Marcus Rashford and he showed real determination, but this…
“He’s got Cristiano Ronaldo just in front of him and this is Cristiano Ronaldo heading form, this.
“I don’t see Marcus Rashford do that too many times. But he’s got one of the best headers in the world to watch in training every single day in Cristiano Ronaldo and that was just like him.
“It’s delicious, the ball from Eriksen, he just drifts it into an area. Kehrer, the right-back, static, Rashford on the move, but it’s brilliant. I love goals like that and you don’t see too many of them from United’s number 10.”
Saha echoes comparison between Rashford and Ronaldo
At half-time, pundits Jamie Redknapp and Saha also highlighted how good Rashford’s goal was.
Redknapp said: “What a header. I genuinely didn’t think he had that in his locker.”
Then, former Manchester United striker Saha shed light on why the comparisons to what Ronaldo can do are justified.
Saha added: “It’s something that I remember Cristiano had done in a European Championship game, where he attacked the ball and I thought that he was a winger, someone who’s going to do tricks, and having that aggression is something I say, hang on a minute, I can play striker. I can be the guy where I can be relied on.
“Okay, I get that aggression inside the box, I can score, because I’ve got the sharpness and this is what he has proved and I think he’s going to do that a bit more.”
Rashford’s 100th goal for Manchester United came in his 318th appearance. In total, 63 of those goals have come in 216 Premier League appearances, including this one.
It is only his seventh headed goal in a Manchester United shirt – and his second this season after one in the Europa League against Sheriff Tiraspol recently.
