Theo Walcott reckons Marcus Rashford is a \u201cdead cert\u201d to start for England at the World Cup. He isn\u2019t, but eight of his teammates are\u2026<\/p>\n
With it just a week until England get their World Cup campaign underway against Croatia, it is now the time for fans, journalists and ex-footballers to play manager and select Thomas Tuchel\u2019s best team for the tournament.<\/p>\n
By now, Tuchel likely already has his best XI in his head, and we should get more of a glimpse of what that looks like when they face Costa Rica in their final friendly on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
Naturally, Tuchel\u2019s decisions will divide opinion, as they have done already with his squad selections. But certain positions are more up for grabs than others.<\/p>\n
The left wing position is one area that remains inconclusive, with Rashford and Anthony Gordon sharing turns from the start without making it their own.<\/p>\n
READ: Neville\u2019s \u2018shock role\u2019 for England at World Cup revealed amid incredible Man Utd midfield masterplan<\/a> But former England international Walcott is certain that Rashford should start ahead of Gordon and others, claiming the Manchester United outcast should be a \u201cdead cert to start\u201d after his loan spell at Barcelona.<\/p>\n \u201cRashford this year has been outstanding,\u201d Walcott said on The Wayne Rooney Show.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve watched him quite a lot. I found the love of watching Barcelona again and took more of an interest with Rashford going out there. It\u2019s been great for him.<\/p>\n \u201cHe would be a dead cert to start for me. The way he\u2019s played, that freedom, that enjoyment. We want to see that smile.\u201d<\/p>\n Walcott added: \u201cRashford\u2019s going to be a major part of this tournament. I\u2019m looking forward to watching him. Out of all the players, I\u2019m most psyched about him.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s brave to go abroad \u2013 it\u2019s great when English players go. I wasn\u2019t brave enough, but for him to do that shows good character.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus Rashford is not a \u201cdead cert\u201d to start, but eight other England players are\u2026<\/p>\n It is certainly not as cut and dry between Rashford and Gordon as Walcott suggests it is, even though the 2025\/26 Barcelona loanee arguably produced the better form of the two players this season.<\/p>\n Tuchel has openly stated how much of a fan he is of Rashford, but you are often left wanting more after he puts on an England shirt.<\/p>\n
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