Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has said what he has learnt from Zlatan Ibrahimovic this season has been “irreplaceable”.
Ibrahimovic, 35, arrived at Old Trafford last summer tasked with firing United to honours while acting as a mentor to the club’s younger players.
Having scored 28 goals in all competitions to guide United to the League Cup, Europa League semi-finals, and into contention for the Premier League top four, Ibrahimovic was an unqualified success before a cruciate knee ligament injury ruled him out for the rest of the season.
However, the former Sweden captain’s influence has not been limited to the pitch, with Rashford one of the key benefactors of Ibrahimovic’s arrival.
"His influence on the younger players, especially, is fantastic," Rashford told The Daily Telegraph.
“You will see the benefits in years to come. What I have learnt from him is irreplaceable.”
Ibrahimovic’s arrival has meant a change in position for Rashford, who has found himself played out wide to accommodate the former Paris Saint-Germain striker.
The 19-year-old England international’s goalscoring was affected as a result, but he has insisted that he has adjusted and become a more well-rounded player.
“For me the development has been going great all the way through,” Rashford said.
“I didn’t feel uncomfortable in the wide role, but when something is different it takes a while to get used to it.
“You look at all the strikers in the world now, I can only think of two, three who are No 9s — [Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry] Kane, [Bayern Munich’s Robert] Lewandowski, [Barcelona’s Luis] Suarez. The qualities a striker needs now are different to what they used to be.”
After scoring the extra-time winner in the Europa League quarter-final against Anderlecht on Thursday, Rashford was rested for the 2-0 Premier League win over Burnley on Sunday.
He is expected to be restored to the line-up when United travel to the Etihad Stadium to face rivals Manchester City on Thursday.
United are fifth in the league, trailing fourth-placed City by one point in the race for a Uefa Champions league qualifying spot.
* Reuters
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