England coach Sam Allardyce explained that he clearly had no axe to grind when he banished Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford to the Under 21 side.

The English youngster has been rising since his debut last term in the Premier League. Rashford had to step in when Anthony Martial was injured after impressing the former coach whilst in action for the youth team. He was brilliant, getting goals in the Europa League.

In his debut in the Premier League, he ran riot, endearing fans to himself. He has had a fast rising profile since he started featuring regularly for United scoring eight goals between February and May. He broke into the English squad, and was named in Euro 2016.

When you look at how physically developed he us, you can understand why he has been left for the U21s, with his lack of muscle being seen as one of the attributes holding him back. Whilst some athletes break through at much younger and make their way to the top of the game - for example Djokovic won his first Major at 20 years old, there are different physical factors in tennis to football, and Rashford needs to continue his development in order to get to the top.

Sam Allardyce named his list for the World Cup qualifier but left out Rashford, demoting the youngster to the Under 21 squad. Allardyce remained with established strikers like Daniel Sturridge, Wayne Rooney, Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane. The former Sunderland coach said he wanted Rashford to get some experience with the youth team.

“I think that having international experience in the U21s will be invaluable for us later down the line, and I think if he plays for Manchester United on a regular basis – and is breaking into that team – then he’ll be in my squad,” Allardyce explained. He added that playing full games with the junior team will prove invaluable as it did for Kane in the past. He admitted that the young player stunned last term, but decided to relieve him of the pressure early in his career.

Rashford scored a late winner for United in the match against Hull City, after coming on as a substitute. He is yet to get his first start for United this season. United manager Jose Mourinho claimed he was happy the youngster would not be participating in the qualifiers.