Sunday 29 May 2016 07:00, UK
Jordan Henderson believes Marcus Rashford is good enough to play for England at the European Championships this summer, if selected by manager Roy Hodgson.
Rashford produced a man-of-the-match performance on his debut to help England beat Australia 2-1 at the Stadium of Light on Friday evening.
The 18 year-old striker, who only made his Premier League debut for Manchester United in Febuary, found the net just three minutes into his international debut.
And, with Daniel Sturridge yet to fully recover from a calf strain, Henderson admits that Hodgson now has a tough decision to make over which strikers to include in his final 23-man squad for France.
"He's a very good player, a good all-round player," said Henderson. "He has got everything in his locker as well and he's only 18.
"But he has done that in the Premier League this season for a lot of games. He's looked very mature, playing with no fear and hopefully he continues to do that.
"I think he'd be ready (for the Euros), yeah. I think it was a big test for him, making his debut, and he took to it, to be fair.
"Again, there's a lot of good players in the squad, a lot of good strikers, so anyone can be in the 23, but I am sure he has given himself the best opportunity to be in it."
Henderson, like his club team mate Sturridge, is fighting to prove his fitness ahead of Hodgson's squad selection following a serious knee injury picked up against Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League in April.
The 25 year-old returned to play the full 90 minutes on Friday at his former home ground but admitted he still has a long way to go to return to full fitness.
"It is obviously nice to come back and play here as the home team once again, especially for England," Henderson said.
"It was nice to come back, nice to get a start again, nice to play some football, get some minutes, but it was tough as well.
"There's a lot of things I need to work on, improve on, in the next couple of weeks, but delighted to be back playing.
"I just think getting that sort of feel back, the touch. Getting involved in the game a little bit more, being more of a threat going forwards and just general play, really.
"Just getting back to what I am used to doing for Liverpool and also England when I've been playing as well. Like I say, I am getting back to that level and hopefully in the next week or so I can keep doing that."
Henderson believes that nobody in the England set-up is assured of a place on the plane to France and reiterated his desire to prove his fitness ahead of the deadline for squad submissions on May 31.
"I think there's no-one safe, really - maybe one or two - but everyone is fighting for place on the plane and I am no different," he said.
"Obviously I have been injured for a long time but I am working hard, I am trying to get back to the level that I was before I've been injured this season.
"I'll keep continuing to do that and if the manager wants us to be in the squad then I'll be over the moon. If not, then I need to get ready for pre-season."
