Young blood at Old Trafford. So who is Manchester United's next Marcus Rashford?

Against the Netherlands, it looks likely that Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford will be the only players of real quality to feature for England. Sterling had a peripatetic journey to reach this position, from Queens Park Rangers, to Liverpool and then Manchester City, and has dealt with several managers as he has progressed. Things are different for Rashford.

Always a United player, he was given his chance by Louis van Gaal, and has continued his development at Old Trafford despite spells on the bench. It is not clear, though, where the next great English hope is coming from under Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho arrived at Manchester United, overstating the importance he had in bringing on younger players into first team football in decade at the top. There had been a few bright spots, but players like Mario Balotelli and Davide Santon ultimately floundered.

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Younger, but not exactly young, players like Kevin De Bruyne and Mo Salah only met their potential when they spent time away from Mourinho. He is an exacting manager, and perhaps not one that the modern, younger player can excel under.

Nevertheless, Rashford has demonstrated that if you contribute to the team, work hard, and are prepared to sublimate your skills in pursuit of following instructions, you will get a chance. Scott McTominay might have been regarded as the next in line for an England call-up before choosing Scotland, but his success demonstrates Mourinho’s mores more than it does his talent.

He has an impressive spirit, and an attacking approach to the game, but there is nothing striking about what he has achieved on the pitch.

As yet, it is no disaster for Gareth Southgate to have lost him to Scotland. As United gear up for another round of spending in the summer to mop up the mess of Mourinho’s transfer policy and Ed Woodward’s overall strategy, there may be a chance for someone to step up from the youth team.

In terms of forwards, Callum Gribbin has claimed a few highlights videos on YouTube. Gribbin trained with the first team in 2015, aged 16, and was in United’s first team training session in December 2017. A winger and a playmaker, he is adept on the ball and is technically everything an English player usually isn’t: competent, and able to beat players with the ball at his feet. With Mourinho looking for players who can take over from Anthony Martial on the left wing, he may get a chance next season to challenge Rashford for his usual position.

Another player who is not yet commonly known is Ro-Shaun Williams, who has often been used in partnership with Axel Tuanzebe in central defence. He was included in squads under Van Gaal, more an indictment of the Dutchman’s inability to keep his first team fit. At just 19, he still has time to improve, but might have been left behind by Tuanzebe, who has joined Aston Villa on loan.

There he has mainly annoyed John Terry by mocking him on Instagram, and it isn’t clear that he will make the required step up to break into either the United or England teams, though he is just a year older and has formed part of a successful Championship side. If Villa are promoted, they could keep him on for another season to see how he develops.

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The most exciting player at United’s disposal, who could feasibly grow into an England international, is Angel Gomes, though this is admittedly a long shot. Not because Gomes lacks talent, but because he is still only 17, and measures just 5 foot 3. Despite his mini stature, Mourinho gave him his debut at the end of last season, replacing Wayne Rooney in his final match for United, and becoming the youngest ever player for United in the Premier League.

He also played for United this season, playing a few minutes against Yeovil Town. His pace, technique and ability to play the game as if seeing events seconds before those around him have seen him compared to Paul Scholes. Looking to the England side, where Jack Wilshere remains in contention for a place despite recurrent injury problems, suggest that there is a place for a creative player should Gomes emerge at Old Trafford. With Michael Carrick, Marouane Fellaini, and perhaps Paul Pogba on the way out, his chance might come sooner than had been expected.

For a club famous for developing homegrown talent, things haven’t worked out that way since the Class of 92, and Phil Neville. After them, and before Rashford, there was Darren Fletcher, John O’Shea, Jonny Evans and little else.

The Da Silva twins, Rafael and Fabio, were briefly enjoyable, but their careers stuttered before moves away. And perhaps their examples complicate things further – with younger players like Tim Fosu-Mensah, Tahith Chong, Matthew Olosunde, DJ Buffonge and Indy Boonen, English young players are facing two obstacles. The immediate problem is that players are recruited as teenagers from across the world to give competition.

What makes it even harder is that the same process is repeated, every single year, as Mourinho and United look to the transfer market for quick fixes as they chase a return to the top of the table.