03 March 2023 , 11:07
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp put bitter club hostilities to one side to admit he is "happy" to see Marcus Rashford in the form of his life for Manchester United.
Rashford, 25, will be the main threat in attack as United travel to Anfield for a hotly-anticipated North-West Derby on Sunday evening. The England international has scored a career-high 25 goals across all competitions this season - including 14 in the Premier League - to surpass his previous best tally of 22.
His latest strike came in last Sunday's Carabao Cup final as the Red Devils defeated Newcastle 2-0 at Wembley Stadium to end their six-year wait for silverware. Understandably, Klopp is wary of the threat the red-hot forward poses, hailing his well-rounded game and confessing he is "playing incredible" for Liverpool's arch-rivals.
"It's impossible to be positive about something at Manchester United when you are Liverpool manager, but I am happy for Rashford," Klopp said at his press conference on Friday morning. "He is playing incredible. Speed, calm, a mix of everything."
Klopp's praise for Rashford comes one month after he hailed the United academy graduate as one of the "best examples" for his struggling Liverpool players to follow. The two rival clubs have endured drastically different seasons; the Red Devils have enjoyed a resurgence under Erik ten Hag and remain on the hunt for three more trophies after their Carabao Cup success, whereas Liverpool have struggled inexplicably following last season's quadruple challenge, during which they scooped two trophies.
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Jurgen Klopp was in a reflective mood as he discussed Marcus Rashford in early February (Getty Images)"It's something you have to deal with," Klopp said of his side's poor form in early February, when they were ninth in the league. "Of course, some players didn't reach the level that have reached for us consistently.
"One of the best examples is Marcus Rashford, the season he had last year and this year. I'm not sure he can even explain it. That's how it goes. The time between these two extremes, you have to fight through it."
Marcus Rashford is enjoying his most prolific campaign in a Manchester United shirt (Getty Images)Klopp is hoping Liverpool enjoy a Rashford-esque revival when United come calling at Anfield on Sunday. The German knows form has a tendency to go out the window on derby day and, speaking on Friday, added: "They (United) have had a better season so far but thank God it means absolutely nothing on Sunday.
"We have to make sure we show it is still incredibly difficult to play against us. We have to make sure they realise that. I couldn't be less interest in what Man United are doing, I just respect it. I see them when we analyse them and we will try to cause more problems than [Liverpool's 2-1 defeat by United last August]."