Every hyped young player worth his salt encounters his own 'flight or fight' predicament; a crossroads in their career that separates the Bojans and Januzajs from the actual cream of the crop. Will the Euros be Rashford's, or will it be next season under Jose? We will only know in hindsight.
As many have mentioned here, protecting him now will not necessarily guarantee success in the future. He will eventually face scrutiny and criticism, so why not start him young? Besides, there's Kane as England's new hope, Rooney as the 'face' of the team, Hodgson's coaching, and Sterling's personal life to take the spotlight off him. This might actually be the best ever set of circumstances for him to make his international debut. Going back to United, he'll have Jose who's fiercely protective of his players (for the most part), potentially Ibra, Rooney, De Gea and Martial to take the pressure off him. He'll also have Carrick and Schweini to learn from which will only do him well.
For what it's worth, I don't think I've ever seen anyone in my years of watching football make as much immediate impact as Rashford did in his first four months.
- First team debut, must win game, in a match you didn't expect to start in the first place? Scores a brace.
- Arsenal first team comes to OT with title ambitions in his first league match? MOTM performance.
- First Manchester derby? Scores the winner.
- First cup Final? Acquits himself well and would've won MOTM if he hadn't gone off IMO.
- First game for England? Goal with his first touch.
I'm a firm believer that while hard work is important in football, some people just have that special trait inside that keeps them extra cool during times of pressure. Rashford seems to have both, and if he stays away from injury and negative influences in life, I can see him becoming a staple of United's future.