Marcus Rashford’s emergence has Alex Ferguson giddy with excitement

The boy is a bit special.

Manchester United fans must be wondering why the club didn't suffer a striker shortage earlier in the season, just so they could get to see more of Marcus Rashford. The 18 year old has been a revelation since breaking into the first team and already looks mature beyond his years. Louis van Gaal has been impressed him, and so too has Alex Ferguson, who admits that the boy looks a serious talent for the club. The teenager has scored twice against Arsenal and the winner against Manchester City and speaking to Sky Sports, Ferguson feels Rashford could become a club legend.

"I think the future is good. Rashford is an example of what I think is Manchester United. They are the one club in England who will always identify a Rashford and give a young kid a chance – there is no better club in England at giving young kids a chance. Rashford is a sensation and one of the best in years.”

Ferguson's praise of Rashford also includes a defence of Louis van Gaal, whom he feels still needs time to develop at the club, despite coming to the end of his second full season in charge. Ferguson feels that the Dutchman has been unlucky with injuries.

“It is dead easy to be critical. You have to be realistic about some things – the number of injuries he has had: Phil Jones has played only seven games this season, Ashley Young, [Antonio] Valencia, [Luke] Shaw, these are big losses. It doesn’t matter which team you are, if you have players missing of that calibre it has to have an impact on the team. “You have to have some patience being a Manchester United fan and they have shown that over the years; in Matt Busby’s time, in my time. For 150 years of history it is worth having a couple of years on the quiet side of success because they will always come back and come back strong.”

Ferguson also had a warning for incoming Pep Guardiola not to expect success immediately, despite the millions at Manchester City. Guardiola has won league titles at both Barcelona and Bayern Munich, but Fergie feels he might find life in the Premier League a bit tougher than his last two jobs.

"Man City have made a real coup in getting him but Pep won’t find it easy, English football is not easy. “Every foreign coach that has come to England will tell you that. Pep will be a success but I don’t think he’ll ever replicate what he did at Barcelona because that was a high standard – they were the best. “Pep will improve City but Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham will want to do something and will be desperate to win the league next season as much as City, so for Pep there is not a guarantee they can win the league.”

Well he would say that, wouldn't he?