London: Manchester United can use an FA Cup final victory over Chelsea as the perfect platform for a strong start to next season on the back of a successful end to this one, forward Marcus Rashford has said. The 20-year-old England international believes a record-equalling 13th FA Cup triumph on Saturday would provide the team with a huge morale boost after they finished a distant second to Manchester City without really mounting a title challenge.
“It’s got massive importance for us,” Rashford told United’s website http://www.manutd.com. “Finishing the season off with a trophy is always good and would put us in good spirits for next season.
“I think the most important thing is winning that trophy to put us in good stead and, mentally, I always say you don’t want to go a season without winning something.
“That’s my determination — to try to win something each year. Hopefully, we can get one this year.”
Rashford has won the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League trophies at United but the speedy forward is hungry for more.
“I think the first trophy sets you off. When you win the first one, the hunger and determination goes up to a level you didn’t think it could reach. Now I’m always hungry for it — just the results and the trophies,” he added.
Rashford, however, is bracing for a tough test from Chelsea, who are trying to salvage their season after a fifth-placed league finish ended their hopes of playing Champions League football next season.
“Chelsea are a very good team with a lot of quality players. On the day, they can cause problems for anyone. We have to approach the game with the correct mentality,” Rashford said.
“We know it’s going to be a tough game and we have got to be ready to fight.”
After the season concludes, Rashford will compete in his first World Cup campaign after being named in England manager Gareth Southgate’s 23-man squad. — Reuters
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