Marcus Rashford learning from master finisher Harry Kane

Marcus Rashford said he tests himself against Harry Kane during England training sessions in a bid to improve as a striker. England take on Bulgaria in Euro 2020 qualifying on Saturday, with Rashford seemingly likely to start in a front three alongside Kane and Raheem Sterling.

Flying start

The 21-year-old got his Premier League campaign off to a fine start with two goals in Manchester United's 4-0 victory over Chelsea, but has failed to score since, missing a penalty in the 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford. With Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sánchez having left United, the onus is now on Rashford and Anthony Martial to lead the line, though former Red Devils forward Michael Owen believes the academy graduate may not have the desire to become a top goalscorer.

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Rashford, however, refuted Owen's claims, insisting he is always aiming to improve, and uses England captain and Tottenham star Kane as his benchmark. "If you watch training, then you'd see how it all works," Rashford said in a news conference. "I could use Harry as an example. He's one of the best finishers that I've played with and whenever we do finishing, in my head, it's about being as close to him as possible. So if he scores six, you want to score six, if he scores seven, you want to score eight. Little things like that are the bits that people never see. Even though we're fighting for the same position, or to be in the same team, we really do drive each other on and it's very important that you have that sort of atmosphere within a team. He [Owen] can only go on what he sees. Whereas the people around me [know]. Especially when I was younger, the reason why you started playing is because you see things that you like and for me, it was goals and watching exciting people doing exciting things with the ball. So, the important thing is I know what I want, what I want to become and what I will become if I keep my mind on it."

No pressure

Rashford acknowledged missing chances plays on his mind but he was adamant he feels no extra pressure due to competition for places within the England squad. "Yes, it haunts you, it's the same for when you score and you know you've had other chances in the game, you're looking [at] what went wrong," he added. "Here, it's a bit more simple because Harry's record is unbelievable. That's a way for him to get his goals and the squad support that. I don't think it's something to fear, I think you need it. If you don't have [pressure], it's difficult for motivation to improve. You need the players around you to push each other."