Marcus Rashford is a young man who plays without fear.

Sometimes you see teenagers get their chance on the big stage, and it’s easy to see the tension on their faces. That’s the usual reaction. But with Rashford it looks like it’s just another day when he is picked.

After bursting onto the scene with back-to-back braces against Midtjylland and Arsenal, Marcus’s electrifying introduction simmered down a little. But on Sunday, the lad from just down the road became a local hero on the red side of Manchester.

He plays with such confidence and maturity already, and it was clear to see with his goal at the Etihad. He controlled the ball elegantly, slowing Demichelis down before blitzing past with his second touch and slotting the ball past Joe Hart.

Martin Demichelis has had a long and distinguished career, but he’s always lacked pace, and at 17 years Rashford’s senior he was always going to struggle to contain him. I know that Van Gaal would have told Rashford to take advantage of that when one on one with Martin.

Van Gaal would always highlights opponent’s weaknesses to the extent that you would begin to dream about them.

And Marcus must have felt like he was dreaming in Manchester on Sunday. A well taken finish that any of the best would be proud of.

I do hope he’ll keep his feet on the ground and just concentrate on developing his talent. There are a lot of young players who ooze talent, but that stop working when they get a bit of glory. It’s a shame when that happens, but Marcus looks like he wants to learn.

He’s got a lot in his locker already, making it look easy at times. Van Gaal loves it when he finds young talent, and he always gives the youth a chance. When that talent works hard to get better he rewards them with playing time, so everyone is a winner.

This is a common situation for Van Gaal, and I hope Marcus capitalises on the opportunity, doesn’t believe the hype and just keep doing what he did at the weekend.

#mmlove