Marcus Rashford has given a fascinating insight into his mindset and admitted he faces a constant battle to prove himself.
Manchester United and England striker Rashford is back to his best form this season, with seven goals in his last eight games for club and country.
But the 22-year-old admitted the biggest challenge, having made it to the highest level, is staying there and proving he is worthy of his place.
Rashford, who has scored 54 goals in 187 games for United and eight from 36 caps for England, said: “It’s a massive privilege.
“For me, I’ve been at United for many years and the amount of friends I’ve seen come and go is huge. It just makes you feel, as you say, privileged that you managed to get the opportunity.
“But once you get the opportunity, the hardest thing is staying there. So that’s the challenge.
“For me, at Manchester United, they develop you to a stage where you don’t necessarily feel the pressure. It’s more just something that you have to live up to.
“But because you’ve been there for so long, they try to instil it into you to try to live up to the expectations of Manchester United – which, of course, are very high.
“Naturally, if you do live up to the expectations, you don’t have to deal with any pressure. So that’s the way I think about it.”
Rashford admitted his life changed forever, after he came to the world's attention with two goals on his United debut back in February 2016.
“The first couple of games that you play, it can be tough, when you go back home or when you go to the shop,” said Rashford.
“A simple thing like going to the shop to buy something – it used to take you two or five minutes, but now is like a 30-minute trip to go and get something.
“So little things like that. You just get used to it, you become accustomed to it.”
Rashford also revealed how he copes with difficult times like losing games and loss of form, claiming he tries to maintain the same mindset all the time.
“I just try to maintain a level head,” Rashford told Inside United.
“You know, whether you win or you lose, if you try to keep the same sort of feeling and a level head, it tends to help you best. So I don’t like to get too down or too high.”
Rashford also said the thrill of scoring never lessens. “It’s a huge feeling,” he said.
“It’s always slightly different, but you always get a tremendous rush of blood. It’s always something special. It’s hard to forget those moments.”
