It says much for Marcus Rashford that there are those at Manchester United who now mention him in the same breath as Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. The ability is there; sometimes, though, he may need to control the fire.

Rashford, a boyhood United fan raised in nearby Wythenshawe, plays with the sort of passion that can create legends, although disciplinary issues may turn out to be a painful side-effect.

At Burnley in September, he was called “naive” by Jose Mourinho after a red card for leaning his head into Phil Bardsley. Against Brighton, with a fabulous goal to his credit, he was booked for sending Martin Montoya flying with a wild challenge by the touchline.

Caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has done so much for Rashford’s confidence since replacing Mourinho, felt the need to have a quiet word.

“He is a proper Manc,” Solskjaer said. “You can’t kick him and keep him down. He will stand up for a fight and stand up for himself and a team-mate. But he knows, and we spoke about it. Don’t give stupid fouls away against Brighton because they are going to get you in trouble.”