Marcus Rashford was tasked by Luke Shaw with replicating his “unplayable” performance against Wales for the remainder of England‘s World Cup run.
In Tuesday’s 3-0 victory over their British counterparts at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Rashford scored both of England’s goals.
With the win, England won Group B and advanced to the round of 16, where they will play Senegal for a spot in the quarterfinals.
One of Gareth Southgate’s four new players, Rashford opened the scoring with a beautiful free-kick early in the second half. Then, following a frantic run, he doubled his tally with a low drive as Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward let the ball slip through his legs.
According to Shaw, Rashford must continue to produce at the same level after being the first member of Manchester United to score three goals at a World Cup since Bobby Charlton in 1966, when England won the cup.
When asked by Stats Perform what he thought of Rashford’s display, Shaw replied: “He’s so good, the talent he’s got, he can be unplayable.
“I think he needs to deliver that every single game he plays. He’s got the quality that can make a difference, he’s an unbelievable player and one that can make the difference for us.
“Hopefully he can keep those standards high and keep doing it.”
Rashford, who finished with six shots, only one fewer than the entire Wales team managed combined, had scored eight times in 19 appearances for United this season heading into the World Cup, and Shaw has full faith the 25-year-old will keep up his form.
“Very confident. I see it day in, day out – what he’s doing, how he’s training,” Shaw added. “He took his chance, I think it was his time to start and for me he took his chance.
“He needs to keep the standards high now, because he’s a really important player.”
Phil Foden was a star of the show along with Rashford.
Southgate picked Foden in place of Bukayo Saka after receiving criticism from some quarters for not using the Manchester City player against the United States last week.
While Foden took some time to get going, he picked up speed as the first half went on and scored a fantastic goal just 98 seconds after Rashford had given the game its first goal.
“Not just the ones that started today, you look at the bench and the quality we have, we have World Class players who if they’re not starting can come on and change a game,” Shaw said when asked if Foden could be decisive in pushing England deep into the tournament.
“Phil didn’t get a chance against the USA but he came in and was the wonderful player we all know, getting on the ball, making things happen, scoring a very important goal at a crucial time and that’s what we want from all of them. We need them to be like that.”
Rashford revealed after the match that he had recently suffered the loss of a friend, and Shaw – whose grandmother passed away shortly before the World Cup – explained the unique unity of the England camp had been crucial in helping him overcome the loss.
“One million per cent,” Shaw said. “The togetherness is not something I’ve witnessed in a team before.
“Everyone is so close together, we get on so well and push each other every day to get better and keep the standards high. It brings everyone closer together.”