Former Premier League star Dennis Wise believes Marcus Rashford will be forced to leave Manchester United in search of regular first team football.

The youngster burst onto the scene at Old Trafford during Louis Van Gaal’s final season as manager in 2015/16, but has since struggled to nail down a regular starting position since Jose Mourinho took over as manager.

Rashford hasn’t started a top flight game for United since mid-December, and after the January arrival of Alexis Sanchez, the England international has played on 19 minutes of football.

And Wise, formerly of Chelsea, believes the youngster could be forced to leave United for the good of his own career after Romelu Lukaku and Sanchez both recently signed long-term deals with the club.

Wise told Premier League Daily: “At some stage if he doesn’t get regular football that will be something of a consideration for him further down the line.

“There are some quality players that they have brought in. There is Lukaku that he has got to try and get himself in front of – I am not sure he will.

“Although Lukaku has not been performing fantastically well. Sanchez is another one that Mourinho has brought in. It’s about where they are going to fit Rashford in and what position.

“At times he has mostly played wide and that is not really his main position but I think he will accept that position because he wants to play.”

And Wise says seeing a player of Rashford’s ability – who was hotly tipped to be the club’s next big thing after breaking onto the scene nearly two years ago – go to waste.

Wise added: “When he gets his opportunities he has got to take it, otherwise he won’t get many [further] opportunities [to impress] and he might sit for a while on the bench and not play.

“But it’s not something I would like to see as an England international – I’d like to see him playing constantly and scoring goals because I think he is capable of doing that.”