Marcus Rashford has opened up about the pressures of elite football as he adapts to life as one of Manchester United's main men.
Along with Anthony Martial, Rashford has been entrusted as a cornerstone of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's revolution at Old Trafford.
Having made an instant impact after breaking into the United first team under Louis van Gaal during the 2015-16 season, it is easy to forget that Rashford is only 22 years old.
The England international reached a milestone at United in October, with his strike in the 3-1 win at Norwich City marking his 50th goals for the Red Devils in all competitions.
Reflecting on being one of only 54 players to have scored that many for United, Rashford told Inside United magazine:
"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, and 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."
Having grown up as a United fan in Wythenshawe, Rashford joined the club's academy at just seven years old - and the striker admits living as a famous footballer is not without its challenges.
"The first couple of games that you play, it can be tough, when you go back home or when you go to the shop," he said.
"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."
However, Rashford says United have prepared him well for the spotlight: "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."
