Man Utd star Rashford will struggle to play to 30 as Solskjaer fears burnout, says Sam Allardyce
The former England manager reckons the physical and mental demands will begin to take their toll
MARCUS RASHFORD will struggle to still be playing football when he is 30.
That is the opinion of former England manager Sam Allardyce, who is concerned about the Manchester United striker.
Rashford turned 21 in October but already has 98 Premier League appearances under his belt, scoring 25 times.
Speaking to , Allardyce said: “It will be very difficult for him to still be playing at 30, because of the demand physically and mentally and the fatigue he will suffer.
“He’ll have three weeks a year off. That’s it. There’s no pre-season any more. They go playing straight away in these tournaments, he’ll play all over the world and he’ll play for his country.
“Even if he doesn’t get any major injures, by 25 he’ll have niggles just from wear and tear.
“The knees and ankles, the hips, his back will start being a problem as he goes on.
“It wont stop him playing but I think later on in life it will bring his career to an end quicker.
“If you’re looking at the Premier League now, there are fewer players over 30 playing now than ever.”
Interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took Rashford off in injury time during the 2-1 victory over Brighton on Saturday, with the England forward scoring the winner just before half-time.
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Rashford looked fatigued and picked up a knock but Solskjaer insists he expects the striker to vocalise when he needs a rest.
The Norwegian said: "He was tired towards the end because his work-rate is unbelievable."
Allardyce also made a stunning revelation that he wanted to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during his time at Everton.
Big Sam wanted a goalscorer at Goodison Park last January but then spent a combined £47million on Theo Walcott and Cenk Tosun.