Throwback pic of Marcus Rashford will give hope to any young footballers worried about size

Marcus Rashford was never going to make it as a target man.

Rashford's skill set meant that the Manchester United forward didn't have to be big to hurt opposition defences because what he lacks in size, he more than makes up for with pace, technique and ability to finish. And while Rashford has scored a few headers since making his breakthrough into the United first team and has grown to a respectable 5ft 11in, there was no danger of him troubling defenders in the air back when he lined out for the England U16 team. Rashford only made a handful of appearances for England's U16s and it's likely that his chances were limited due to doubts stemming from his height and slight frame. On Tuesday afternoon, Rashford shared a throwback picture from a few years ago and he clearly saw the funny side of the fact that he was closer in height to the mascots than his teammates. https://twitter.com/MarcusRashford/status/968470440925687808 In recent weeks, Rashford has not seen much playing time for United as he's fallen slightly down the pecking order at Old Trafford following the arrival of Alexis Sanchez. Some pundits have recommended that Rashford should leave the Red Devils in order to receive the game time he deserves but that's a suggestion that has been absolutely rubbished by club legend Gary Neville.

"How can Marcus Rashford leave Manchester United? How can Manchester United let him leave? It’s impossible," Neville told MEN Sport.

"People saying he should leave are talking nonsense, it's rubbish. The kid has been brilliant for 18 months. He's having a period out of the team at the moment which happens to every young winger or forward that comes in to the team.

"That's happened to every player I have seen, they dip in and out of the team and they have periods where they don't play. It's not because they're out of favour. "Rashford will be a United player for many years to come, and if he's not then that will be a big disappointment with the talent he has got."