Manchester United star Marcus Rashford has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or thanks to his incredible development and maturity.
That is the opinion of Red Devils team-mate Luke Shaw, who has seen Rashford come through the ranks at Old Trafford and become the player he is today.
The England forward, 22, was enjoying arguably his best year so far before a back injury cut his season short.
But with Rashford set to return for the final nine games of the term thanks to the coronavirus delays, left-back Shaw is backing his compatriot for big things once again.
“He’s looked unstoppable at times this season and he’s looked so confident,” Shaw told the club’s official website.
“I haven’t seen that in him before. He was always confident, but not to this level, and he’s matured so much.
“He knows he has the ability to be one of the best and he’s pushing himself all the time to maximise that.
“There’s no reason why, if he keeps going, keeps pushing himself, that he can’t win it [the Ballon d’Or] one day.
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“He’s improved greatly from when he first came on the scene, not just on the pitch, but off the pitch as well.
“He’s matured so much. He’s really turned into a man and I think everyone’s seen the way he’s conducted himself off the pitch; especially during this pandemic, he’s been unbelievable.
“He’s a massive example to everyone. He’s matured so much and a lot of credit for that goes to him and also to his family, who have kept him very grounded.”
Shaw also says that Rashford continues to inspire youngsters coming through at United, but that’s not to say he’s not still looking to improve himself.
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“He’s a big inspiration for a lot of young people, especially the ones who are coming through from Manchester,” Shaw added.
“In Marcus, they’ve got someone to look up to not just on the pitch but off it too, which is really nice to see.
“As a player, he’s improved so much but he always wants to learn, always wants to get better and, to me, he’s getting better every time I see him play.”