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'We will win more games with Grealish in the team' - Rashford talks up qualities of 'great' England team-mate

The Manchester United forward thinks the Three Lions will be at their strongest if the Aston Villa star is handed a regular starting berth

Marcus Rashford has described Jack Grealish as a "great player" while insisting that England will win more games with him in the team.

Grealish earned his sixth and seventh caps during the Three Lions Euro 2020 warm-up wins over Austria and Romania, having been named in Gareth Southgate's final 26-man squad for the tournament after another outstanding campaign at Aston Villa.

Manchester United star Rashford, who stepped up to score the winning penalty against Romania after Grealish earned a foul in the box, has been impressed by what he has seen from the midfielder in the England camp and thinks he deserves to be a regular starter.

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What's been said?

Despite the fact that Grealish could rival him for a spot on the left when the Three Lions open their European Championship campaign against Croatia next Sunday, Rashford told reporters after their latest friendly victory: “He is a great player. He will definitely grow and grow in an England shirt.

“We know from training and the Premier League what he can and for us, it’s just about allowing him to reach his potential in an England shirt.

"We will win more games with him in the team.”

Grealish's stellar 2020-21 season

Grealish earned his place in Southgate's Euros set-up after helping Villa finish 11th in the Premier League, despite missing the final few months of the season due to a serious shin injury.

The 25-year-old, who made his debut for England in a UEFA Nations League draw with Denmark in September, contributed seven goals and 12 assists to Villa's cause in 27 outings across all competitions.

Rashford's captaincy honour

Rashford became the 125th man to captain England when Southgate handed him the armband for the fixture against Romania on Sunday.

After marking the occasion by scoring his 12th intentional goal, the 23-year-old told ITV Sport: “It’s definitely a great moment for me.

“It’s something you dream of when you’re a kid and today I managed to accomplish that dream.”

Rashford added on Twitter: "I’ve always been in the mindset that you don’t need an armband to be a leader on the pitch but I can’t lie, this feeling is unexplainable.

"Thank you England. What an honour."