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Marcus Rashford has told ESPN that Jadon Sancho could be a “big factor” for England in their Euro 2020 round-of-16 tie against Germany on Tuesday.
Sancho has spent four years playing at Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund and has played with and against a number of German players in Joachim Low’s squad.
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The 21-year-old has only featured in the latter stages of England’s group stage win over Czech Republic but Rashford said the forward can play a huge part in the match at Wembley.
When asked whether Sancho could be England’s most valuable asset in this game, Rashford told ESPN: “In a way yeah because he’s played a lot of football against them, more than the rest of us.
“I’m sure he knows the players, their characteristics, strengths and weaknesses and he’s definitely someone that can exploit them. If one thing doesn’t quite work we have a big opportunity to change things and adapt in the game.
“Adaptability is one of the biggest skills in football and there’s a lot of times in a game where you have to change or tweak something slightly to hurt your opponents. The fact that he’s played against them a lot, he’s hurt them a lot as well, it will be a big factor for us.”
Rashford and Sancho could also be club teammates next season with sources telling ESPN that Manchester United are closing in on a deal to sign the Dortmund winger this summer.
The United man has already admitted he may require a shoulder operation this summer which could see him miss the start of next season but is focused to play a part for England.
England have failed to progress to the quarterfinal stage at the Euros since 1996 when they hosted the tournament and were knocked out by eventual winners Germany in the semifinals.
However, Rashford said this group of players will show no fear after having played big games on a regular basis — with United, Manchester City and Chelsea players featuring in European finals last season.
“The young players have played in so many big games at their club and it plays a big factor in terms of international football because every game is a big game when you play for your country,” he added.
“They all just seem to step into it and they don’t have any fear and it’s important. Because of that, the inexperience doesn’t really come into play and doesn’t play a factor in their performances.
“That’s one big difference that has been happening over last two or three years. A lot of players at club level have been involved in bigger games and ultimately they’ve been exposed to must-win games and in international football, that’s what every game is.”