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Rashford: Ibrahimovic is the perfect mentor

Cape Town - Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford admits Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the perfect player to learn from as he embarks on his professional career in the Premier League.

Rashford's meteoric rise to stardom last season earned him a place in the senior national team for England's Euro 16 campaign and, at the age of 19, he's firmly established within the first-team squad at the Red Devils.

However, the arrival of the global superstar from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer has forced the academy graduate to fight for a place on the wing under manager Jose Mourinho - which he claims he doesn't mind.

Despite the relative inexperience in the role, having played as a striker during his time in the academy, Rashford feels he's learning more about his positional sense while also studying the lone striker role from Ibrahimovic.

"Playing as a lone striker is a bit different because you are on your own and obviously it depends on what centre-halves you're playing up against and what their skills are and their characteristics are," he told Sky Sports.

"One of the main things I am working on is hold-up play. I know my movement in behind is good so if I can get my hold-up play to improve then I'll be a better player.

"But Zlatan has been a big help. He's spoken to us a lot about things he's come up against in the past and you have to listen because he's been there, he's done it and he's won a lot of trophies and that's what we all want to do.

"It's important we listen and take his advice on board. For instance, it's not just about his strength," he added. "He puts his body in the right areas and these are things you pick up on.

"It's about trying to put those things into your own game."

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