Cristiano Ronaldo is backing Marcus Rashford (Picture: Getty)
Cristiano Ronaldo is backing Marcus Rashford (Picture: Getty)

Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo says Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford can follow in his footsteps after picking up another award.

The Portugal international was crowned UEFA’S player of the year during Thursday’s Champions League draw in Monaco.

Ronaldo, 32, guided Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double last season, scoring twice in the final in Cardiff to secure back-to-back wins for Zinedine Zidane’s side.

The former Manchester United star is defying his critics by staying at the top for so long but he knows that the next generation of talent is creeping up on him.

Ronaldo was crowned UEFA’s player of the year (Picture: Getty)

Asked who he felt could succeed him in the coming years, Ronaldo tipped Manchester United ace Rashford – as well as Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Eden Hazard – as future winners.

‘It’s a very good quesiton,’ said Ronaldo.

‘I see some with great potential: Asensio, Mbappe, Neymar, Dembele, Hazard, Rashford…and some others.

‘In the next generation there are at least ten players with very, very great potential.’

Rashford, 19, burst onto the scene in 2016 when he scored twice on his United debut in the Europa League.

The teenager was relativiely unknown at Old Trafford but earned a place in England’s Euro 2016 squad having only made a dozen appearances for the Red Devils.

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