Marcus Rashford says he was inspired as a youngster watching Cristiano Ronaldo play for Manchester United.

Real Madrid star Ronaldo enjoyed a six-year spell at United that brought with it, amongst other trophies, three Premier League titles and a Champions League crown.

And although Rashford was only 11 when Ronaldo left Old Trafford for Madrid in 2009, he says the Portugal captain was a player he admired growing up.

"When Cristiano Ronaldo came to United, he was the one who everyone looked up to," Rashford told Inside United.

"The thing that impressed me the most was the fact he was only young when he came into the side and he wanted to be the best player in the side.

"He worked hard every single day, you saw him in the gym every single day and the results came on the pitch. He openly wanted to be the best player in the world."

Rashford was impressed by Ronaldo's single-mindedness during his time at United, and says it is an attribute he will need to have if he is to make a success of his career.

"You have to have an approach like that -- all the best players in the world do," he added. "It's not arrogance or anything like that, it's the mindset you need to achieve things."