Manchester United veteran Juan Mata believes that he always knew Marcus Rashford was a special player.

Rashford stunned everyone when he exploded onto the scene during Louis Van Gaal's final season at the club.

While fans were surprised at his quick fire impact in the Europa League and Premier League that season, Mata says that his teammates knew after a training session that he was special.

"It's been great for us since he started and when he trained with the first team (for the first time), we felt there was something special about him and he's doing it," said Mata at a Soccerex event.

"He's making some good steps in his evolution and he's a great player in great condition. He has a good mentality, which is very important for his age.

"He's scoring goals for England and for us, so we're happy to have him in our team. He can change the game with one sprint or one piece of skill.

"He's a great talent who will hopefully continue to be great for Manchester United and England for many years to come."