Wayne Rooney believes Manchester United forward has the goalscoring ‘knack’ to deputise for Harry Kane in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
Greenwood enjoyed a stellar breakthrough season at United, earning his first senior call-up to the Three Lions squad for upcoming Nations League matches against Iceland and Denmark.
The 18-year-old scored 17 goals in all competitions in his first full campaign, despite only establishing himself as a regular starter after the restart.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already named Greenwood as the best finisher at United and Rooney echoes that belief.
United’s all-time record goalscorer thinks the teenage sensation has a natural ability to score goals that he has never had throughout his illustrious career.
“Greenwood made 40 appearances in Europe and the Premier League in 2019-20, compared with [Phil] Foden’s 28,” he wrote in his column for The Times.
“He is probably the best finisher at United already at the age of 18 and in goalscorers you can just see it from day one — Harry Kane and Michael Owen had the knack and it’s the same with Greenwood.
“As I’ve said before, I wasn’t a natural scorer.
“That knack is rare and Gareth needs a proper deputy for Kane, someone he can slot in if Harry is injured or suspended.
“For me, Marcus Rashford is not such a natural scorer and nor is Tammy Abraham. But Greenwood can be that player.”
Greenwood’s proficiency when given a shooting opportunity is largely unrivalled in the Premier League, never mind United.
Of course, Rooney is being incredibly humble by reiterating that he was not a natural finisher having scored 253 goals during his 13-year Old Trafford career.
But Greenwood has boundless potential and will be impossible to leave out for Southgate at next summer’s delayed European Championships if he can improve on his maiden full-season under Solskjaer.
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