Marcus Rashford and Manchester United youngsters thrill Juan Mata
Monday 29 February 2016 09:40, UK
Juan Mata says he is proud to see Manchester United youngsters such as Marcus Rashford shine on the big stage.
The 18-year-old Rashford scored twice on his debut last week against Midtjylland in the Europa League and again made the headlines at the weekend with a double in a 3-2 victory over Arsenal.
It was a result that reignited United's hopes in the race for a top-four spot in the Premier League with manager Louis van Gaal describing Rashford's contributions "unbelievable".
With defender Tim Fosu-Mensah, 18, and midfielder James Weir, 20, making their debuts at Old Trafford on Super Sunday, Mata told the club's website: "Marcus is on fire! I'm sure it's a week he'll never forget.
"I feel so proud - I can't tell you how proud I am of all of them. It's not easy for young lads to come here and play well, but the quality they're showing is great.
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"Obviously, everyone is talking about Marcus and we're all delighted for him, but the others who came in to play in defence and midfield were also great. I think [Sunday] is a day to be proud of the club and its Academy - we've shown the level that we have."
Having progressed in the Europa League and the FA Cup,as well as closing the gap to fourth-placed Manchester City to three points with 11 games left, some of the pressure will have been lifted off Van Gaal.
Live Ford Super Sunday
The Premier League campaign gathers pace this week. United host Watford on Wednesday before heading to West Brom on Sunday, a match being shown live on Sky Sports 1.
Mata, instrumental in the middle in helping to stem the Gunners' creativity, added: "We knew this was a massive week for us.
"We had to go through in the FA Cup and then the Europa League, and we also had to [beat Arsenal] if we still wanted to be in [the race for] the top positions in the Premier League.
"It's a massive win for us and I think it's been a great week - we played great football and won against a big rival.
"We are absolutely delighted. It was a very big game, both for us and Arsenal, and I think we showed great passion."
