Juan Mata says he knew Marcus Rashford was 'special' from the moment he trained with the Manchester United first team for the first time.
The 21-year-old had plenty to celebrate on Monday after agreeing a new bumper £250k-a-week deal with the Premier League giants that takes him through to at least the summer of 2023.
The striker first burst onto the scene aged just 18 at the start of 2016 when he netted twice for the Red Devils in a Europa League tie against Danish side Midtjylland.
Rashford maintained that form through to the end of that campaign and was named in England's squad for that summer's Euros in France after netting on his international debut against Australia.
The youngster has continued to be a key man both for club and country over the past three seasons despite being some years yet away from his prime.
And speaking at a Soccerex event, Mata says he knew exactly what Rashford was capable of after seeing him in training for the first time.
"It's been great for us since he started and when he trained with the first team (for the first time), we felt there was something special about him and he's doing it," said the Spain international.
"He's making some good steps in his evolution and he's a great player in great condition. He has a good mentality, which is very important for his age.
"He's scoring goals for England and for us, so we're happy to have him in our team. He can change the game with one sprint or one piece of skill.
"He's a great talent who will hopefully continue to be great for Manchester United and England for many years to come."
Mata will hope Rashford can continue to find the net regularly for United next term as they look to get back into the Premier League's top four.
