Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho wants Marcus Rashford to learn to enjoy being targeted by opposition fans, insisting it is a compliment.
Rashford was booed as United finished strongly to rout Swansea City 4-0 at Liberty Stadium in Premier League action on Saturday.
The 19-year-old forward – yet to score this season – was a frustrated figure in Wales after he wasted a one-on-one opportunity, while his appeals for free kicks were often waved away by referee Jonathan Moss.
Mourinho, however, has told the England international to embrace the boo boys.
‘I think he has to learn how to enjoy it [the attention],” Mourinho said. ‘If he was a bad player, nobody would try to provoke him. They see the speed, the danger, and probably they think they can affect him.
‘I think if he was on the bench and if he comes on for the last 15 or 20 minutes when the space is there, I think he would do the same things as the other guys did.
‘I think he has to adapt to it. He is an English kid, a young kid who plays for their national team. Oh, I’m sorry, they are Welsh!’
Rashford was replaced by Anthony Martial in the Welsh city and the Frenchman impressed again.
After coming off the bench and scoring in the 4-0 demolition of West Ham, Martial repeated the feat with another goal as a substitute.
‘We had a conversation about the future he has here, and I think he has a good connection on the pitch with Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku,’ Mourinho continued.
‘I think he is growing in confidence and to have two periods of 20 minutes and score two goals is good for that.
‘Of course he wants to play, start for us, be selected for the national team and go to the World Cup. That’s good, and for me, it’s simple: I cannot play Premier League, Champions League and cups with 11 players. I need a squad.
‘He is working really well and maybe the little French language group we have with Paul, Romelu and Marouane Fellaini is helping him. He is very well integrated now. They bring him up and his level has improved.’
– This story originally appeared on FourFourTwo.co.za
