Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Marcus Rashford can emulate Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, backing the Manchester United sensation to become ‘absolutely top class’.

Rashford is in red-hot form, with five goals in seven games since Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho on a caretaker basis at Old Trafford last month.

The 21-year-old forward marked his 150th United appearance by scoring in Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League win over Brighton and Hove Albion – taking his tally to 41 goals for the club.

And Solskjaer hailed the England international, placing him in the same bracket as United greats Ronaldo and Rooney.

‘He is only 21, but the maturity he is showing at times is more than 21, as is his work rate,’ said Solskjaer.

‘If you look at the stats, I was told that he is younger than Ronaldo and Rooney to reach 150 appearances for Manchester United.’

When asked if Rashford could reach the level of Ronaldo and Rooney, Solskjaer added: ‘Definitely – he can be absolutely top class.

‘The more you score the more chance you have of being confident, running into the same positions.

‘The way he works during the week is fantastic because he practices a lot.

‘He is a proper Manc. You can’t kick him and keep him down. He will stand up for a fight and stand up for himself and a teammate. It is a pleasure working with him.’