Marcus Rashford is the joint top goalscorer at the Qatar World Cup (Picture: Getty)
Jack Wilshere has warned Marcus Rashford he is far from certain to retain his England place despite last night’s man of the match performance against Wales.
The Three Lions booked their place in the last 16 and qualified as Group B winners after two goals from Rashford and another from Phil Foden secured an ultimately routine victory against Robert Page’s injury-ravaged team.
Rashford’s two previous appearances in the competition came as a substitute and, despite his relative lack of minutes, is currently leading the race for the Golden Boot alongside France’s Kylian Mbappe and Ecaudor’s Enner Valencia, who have now been eliminated.
Ecuador’s conquerors, Senegal, lie in wait on Sunday, and despite underlining his importance to Southgate, former England star Wilshere admits he would not be surprised were Southgate to turn to the likes of Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling again come the knockout stages.
He told The Sun: ‘I was listening to the TV commentators saying Rashford has to start against Senegal in the last 16 on Sunday.
‘But we should take a step back before jumping to what many might feel is the right conclusion.
‘Just because he’s scored two goals against Wales doesn’t make him an automatic pick for the next game.
‘Senegal will be a very different type of team and probably a tougher proposition than the insipid Welsh.
‘We have to plan properly and Southgate has proved how he will pick the right team for the right occasion.
‘I thought Wales were going to have a go, show us their passion, be committed and make it a fight.
‘But I was disappointed that they didn’t do that. In truth, offensively, they didn’t show us anything.
‘Yes, they made it difficult for us in the first half early on, but only by sitting back and putting everybody behind the ball.’
MORE : Mikael Silvestre ‘afraid’ over William Saliba’s lack of playing time for France at the World Cup
MORE : US fan marched out of World Cup after getting rainbow arm band through security
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
World Cup 2022: your FAQs answered
Two goals might not be enough to get him a start against Senegal.
