Mourinho doesn’t want Marcus Rashford in U21 Euros game… Says Rashford is above that level

Jose Mourinho, Manchester United Manager, and Marcus Rashford

Jose Mourinho, Manchester United boss, has said that he does not think the young striker Marcus Rashford should be included in England squad for European Under-21s Championship this summer.

The 19-year-old English star is eligible to be selected by Aidy Boothroyd for the tournament.


Rashford already has eight caps with the Three Lions and has established himself as a regular member of the England senior squad. He has also made 44 appearances in all competitions for Manchester United this season.

Mourinho therefore feels it will be an injustice to the young striker by asking him to drop back down a level for this summer's Under-21s European Championship.

The United boss stated that "when a player reaches a certain level, it does not make a lot of sense to drop levels". But he however admitted "the power" is in the hands of Football Association to decide.

In total, Rashford has played 49 games for club and country this season, and has scored once for England and ten times for Manchester United including the European League quarter final decider, having broken into the United's first-team last term.

Rashford was selected for Euro 2016 by England manager Roy Hodgson just four months into his first professional season in February 2016.

He signed a new contract worth £20,000-a-week in May 2016 to keep him at Old Trafford until 2020.

The Portuguese compared Rashford playing in the European Under-21s Championship to him being selected for United's under-23 team to win 'say a derby against Manchester City'.

"[Head of Academy] Nicky Butt does not pick him to play that game. He could by age," said Mourinho.

The Under-21s European Championship which will run from 16 June to 30 June has England drawn in a group stage which includes the host country Poland, while Slovakia and Sweden are the other countries in the same group.



"I don't want to go in that direction. I just feel that, when a player reaches a certain level, it doesn't make a lot of sense to drop levels," he told reporters.

"It's like me putting him in our Under-23s to win, let's say, a derby against Man City. No? Nicky Butt could play him in that game because of his age.

"So when you reach a certain level and you've reached it for a long time, I don't think it makes sense. But the power is in their hands."

Rashford has scored 10 goals for United across all competitions this season