Gary Lineker wasted no time explaining his position on Barcelona and Manchester United player Marcus Rashford after England’s 2-0 win against Albania on Sunday.
Thomas Tuchel and his men played their final World Cup qualifier over the weekend, having already qualified for next summer’s international competition in October.
The Three Lions were in action at the Arena Kombetare in Tirana and signed off their World Cup qualifying campaign with their eighth win in eight matches.
England finished top of Group K after an undefeated qualifying run, with Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane netting a superb second-half brace on Sunday.
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Marcus Rashford had to settle for a place on the bench for the Albania match before Thomas Tuchel turned to the on-loan Manchester United star for the second half.
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Gary Lineker on the impact of Man Utd loanee Marcus Rashford for England in the 2-0 win over Albania
Marcus Rashford came onto the pitch in the 75th minute after he replaced West Ham skipper Jarrod Bowen and the Manchester United player had a real impact.
The 28-year-old Barcelona summer signing would pick up an assist only seven minutes into his second-half cameo after setting up England skipper Harry Kane.
Gary Lineker has now insisted that Rashford has repeated what he has “been doing that all season for Barcelona” with his latest England performance.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football, he said: “And I think [Declan] Rice can do all those things, if they’ve got a safeguard behind them, and whether that’s [Elliot] Anderson or [Adam] Wharton.
“And I mean, the squad’s really come on when you can say, I mean, let’s move it on to the left-hand side now.
“So, Rashford’s found his game again, and you know what, hopefully he can continue it, because he came on in this game and he made that fantastic cross for Harry Kane’s goal.
“Obviously, he’s been doing that all season for Barcelona.”
Gary Lineker explains what England star Marcus Rashford has shown at Barcelona this season
Rashford has been able to feature regularly at Barcelona under Hansi Flick after he completed his stunning loan move to the Camp Nou in the summer.
The United talent has made 16 appearances across all competitions for the reigning La Liga champions and he has netted six times and registered nine assists.
Lineker believes that Rashford has defied expectations at the Spanish side and the England international has proven his worth under Barcelona manager Hansi Flick.
“He’s got more goals and assists for them than anybody else combined,” he continued.
“They absolutely adore him in Barcelona at present. And when he first went, we all thought, you know, ‘Will he get any games? Will he play?’
“And I think injuries have perhaps worked in his favour on that front, but Hansi Flick clearly trusts him.
“He’s working really hard, he’s buying into the way they play, which is a good thing.”
“So, you’ve got options there [for England on the left side].”
Rashford signed for Barcelona back in July and the defending La Liga title-holders have the option to make his move permanent in 2026 for a £30.3m fee.
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