Rooney backs Rashford for England call

England captain Wayne Rooney is sure that his Manchester United team-mate Marcus Rashford will do enough in the lead up to Euro 2016 to tempt manager Roy Hodgson into taking him to France.

The academy product has burst onto the scene this season as the Red Devils went through an injury crisis at the start of the year and he will hope to impress for United in the FA Cup final and then against Australia, if selected, in the Three Lions’ friendly a week on Friday.

The 18-year-old helped United finish fifth in the Premier League on Tuesday night as he scored in the final game of the season, a 3-1 win over Bournemouth at Old Trafford. Rashford ends the campaign with eight goals in 17 matches and that form tempted Hodgson to include him in his 26-man provisional squad for the European Championships this summer.

With Louis van Gaal’s men playing in the Cup final on Saturday against Crystal Palace, both Rooney and Rashford have yet to link up with the England squad, which is preparing for Sunday’s first pre-Euro 2016 friendly against Turkey.

Hodgson is planning to name his final squad after the friendly against Australia on May 27, and Rooney believes his team-mate could still make the final squad. “Yeah, it is (extraordinary) but he deserves it,” Rooney said.

“He has come in, listened to the manager and the players, he has worked hard. He fully deserves his chance. I am sure he will give Roy a difficult decision to make in terms of trying to get into the 23.”

Both Rooney and Rashford will be hoping to help England progress out of Group B after they were drawn alongside Russia, Slovakia and Wales for the tournament. Hodgson’s side are the favourites to win the group and they can be backed at odds of 1.73.