Cristiano Ronaldo could provide the solution to Marcus Rashford's problems at Manchester United

Marcus Rashford is in serious need of some guidance.

The Manchester United forward should be enjoying some of the best years of his career right now. Having burst onto the scene at a young age, the 24-year-old is still a few years off what should be his peak period, and yet his progression appears to have stalled.

The lazy viewpoint would be to blame his off-field endeavours for his decline on the pitch, but that is unlikely to be the case. That being said, his performances certainly haven’t been up to standard over the past year.

And with the emergence of Anthony Elanga, and Jadon Sancho starting to show why United spent big money to bring him in from Borussia Dortmund, Rashford could – and probably should – be in danger of dropping down the pecking order.

Should his path into the team out wide be closed off, there is just one option left open to him, and it’s one that he’s been keen to follow.

Doubts have been raised in the past about Rashford playing in a more central role, and experiments with him playing as a number nine have failed in the past, but it could prove to be a viable avenue for him in the future.

Of course, United already have a fairly big name in that position in Cristiano Ronaldo, and the Portuguese ace has already suggested he has another four or five years left in him.

But with that claim comes an admission that, at 37, he will need to adapt his role in the side.

"You have to be intelligent and know that at 18, 20 or 25 you are not the same as at 35," Ronaldo told DAZN.

"And that is the maturity, the experience, the intelligence to understand that maybe you lose some things to win others and have balance, right to keep competing and be at the highest level.

"That's why I'm very happy with my