Marcus Rashford: Representing England at Euro 2016 is unreal, I was only just struggling to get a game for the Under-21 side
Man United forward can't wait to help try to lead the Three Lions to glory in this summer's European Championships
Sponsored by
MARCUS RASHFORD can't contain his excitement at being part of England's squad for this summer's European Championships.
Now out in France at England's team base in Chantilly, Rashford is starting to feel the excitement build, saying he used to only dream of these moments.
On the fan support both at home and over in France, he said: "It's amazing. When I was a kid I used to be doing those things myself.
"So for it to be in my hands to go out and help the country is an amazing feeling."
However, the Manchester United youngster, 18, claimed he had never even considered that he could be at Euro 2016, as just months ago he was battling to make his club's Under-21's team.
Rashford said: "Back [at Christmas] I was actually trying to work my way into the Under-21s side and all of a sudden I appeared in the first team - you have to be ready when your chance comes.
"To be honest, I wasn't really thinking about the England set-up as much because obviously at United there was a lot of games coming thick and fast."All of my focus was on those games. At the end of the season you hear talk and stuff, but to be here now is just amazing."
On his incredible start to life with England, netting after just three minutes against Australia, Rashford added he's just playing his natural game.
He said: "To be fair, I tried not to think about it too much because that's probably where the pressure and stuff starts to get to people's heads and affect their performance.
"For me, I was just concentrating on playing how I'd been playing and all of a sudden the goal came.
"It's a good way to start."
However, he added that on first entering the changing room, he had to pinch himself.
Rashford said: "When I first went into the changing room and saw all of the players' names on the back of their shirts, it doesn't seem real.
"I remember going home after and speaking to my brother about it, and he agreed with me - he didn't think it was real either.
"That's what it's like until you get used to it."
RELATED STORIES
Meanwhile, Rashford's club and national team-mate, Wayne Rooney - England captain for the tournament in France - says he can't wait to lead his country out for Euro 2016.
Roo, 30, said: "I've been excited for it. The longest time in tournaments is always those few weeks in the build-up to the first game, and we're within touching distance of that first game now.
"You can sense the excitement around the team and around the team hotel, and I think you sense that excitement around the country - certainly the fans are doing that but the players are doing exactly the same.
"We're the ones going out on the pitch and we're the ones who have to go and do it, so hopefully we can and we'll give everyone good memories."
Rooney added that he has massive faith in Roy Hodgson's young squad, saying he hopes their youth will translate to fearlessness on the pitch.
He claimed: "I think the most important thing is to enjoy it because there's not that pressure on you that maybe on the lads who have to consistently perform.
"You've got that freedom to go and play, to enjoy it and have no fear.
"I always think that, for young lads, it's probably better to leave them and not fill them with advice - you should do this, you should do that.
"Just let them go and play because that's what's got them to the position they're in today."
United forward-turned-midfielder Rooney also reserved massive praise for team-mate Rashford, saying he can have the same effect for England as he did United.
Rooney said: "At the time [Rashford] came into the team at United, we were going through a bit of a bad period and to come into the team and take to it like he did was incredible really.
"The manager kept faith in him so he kept his place in the team and showed what he could do.
"Roy put him in the 26 and it was really down to Marcus then to show that he was capable of being in the 23, and he certainly did that after a couple of minutes, getting his first goal for England."