Marcus Rashford accepts he needs to improve his levels of consistency, but says it was hard to do so in the ‘inconsistent environment’ he was in ‘for a very, very long time.’
Rashford is currently on loan at Barcelona after falling out of favour at Manchester United under Ruben Amorim.
He spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa and got his dream move to Barca over the summer, where he is rediscovering some good form.
The forward scored twice in a Champions League win at Newcastle last month and has been featuring regularly in La Liga, scoring his first goal in the division last time out against Sevilla.
The 27-year-old is back in the England set-up, coming off the bench against Wales last week and will be hoping to feature on Tuesday night in a World Cup qualifier in Latvia.
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Rashford’s best form has always been exceptional, but he accepts he has not produced it consistently enough over his career so far.
He suggests that is not entirely his own fault, suggesting that Manchester United was not a place where anyone was likely to perform consistently.
‘Consistency is a massive part of it. I feel like I’ve been in an inconsistent environment for a very, very long time. So it’s even more difficult to be consistent then,’ Rashford told ITV.
‘Consistency is what I need to bring into my game. I’m looking to do that, I want to be at my best, not sometimes, but as often as possible.
‘When people talk about consistency, in order to be consistent in anything, not just sport, you need consistent variables in your life, in the way you train and we’ve just had so many changes so far in my career.
‘I have to look forward and that’s definitely one of the things I want to put right and improve on and to be at my best more often. When I’m at my best I really enjoy everything about the sport, so being there is a special thing for me.’
After his brace against the Magpies in September, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said of Rashford: ‘He’s a fantastic player, a great talent and his finishing is incredible.
‘For a striker, it’s always great to score goals and so I’m really happy for him. Before the start of the season, [sporting director] Deco and I said we needed a player like him.’
When Rashford left Manchester United for Aston Villa last season, Amorim said: ‘I couldn’t get Marcus to see the way you’re supposed to play football and to train the way I see it.
‘Sometimes you have one player that is really good with one coach, and the same player with another coach is different.
‘I wish the best to Rashford and to [Villa manager] Unai Emery, and they can connect because he’s a very good player.’