Manchester United interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer feels Marcus Rashford has the attributes to be “a top, top striker” on a par with England team-mate Harry Kane.

Rashford has been deployed in his favoured centre forward role since Jose Mourinho made way for Solskjaer last month, duly rewarding the Norwegian with three goals in his last four starts.

The 21-year-old striker could once again be the focal attacking point at Tottenham on Sunday, where United will have to be on guard at the other end as Kane looks to get on the scoresheet for the seventh successive game.

Kane is widely recognised as one of the best strikers in the Premier League but Solskjaer sees no reason why academy graduate Rashford cannot eventually reach that level.

Speaking upon his return from United’s warm weather training camp in Dubai this week, Solskjaer said: “He can become a top, top striker.

“We can talk about Harry Kane and his class, I’m sure Marcus has got the potential to get up there.

“He’s got frightening pace, he’s now become stronger and can hold the ball up for us. He’s a great link player.

“He’s been brought up here and there were a couple of sessions (in Dubai) with the young kids, (Tahith) Chong, Angel (Gomes) and Jesse (Lingard), where they play together in a certain way. He’s a very exciting player to work with.”

Solskjaer has matched Sir Matt Busby’s record by winning his first five games at the helm of United, though the consensus is this weekend’s encounter represents his first significant test.

Solskjaer believes Rashford can become as good as compatriot Kane.

The former striker is in charge of United until the end of the season but his case to become the permanent successor to Mourinho will become all the more compelling if he gets the better of Mauricio Pochettino at Wembley.

Pochettino has been heavily linked with the Old Trafford post in recent weeks even though he last year signed a new deal to remain at Tottenham until 2023.

Solskjaer has accepted the speculation surrounding Pochettino – “because he has done well” – even though he knows little about the Argentinian’s management style.

He said: “I’ve only met him once myself. He was a very nice man to speak to and we had a nice chat.

“He’s probably a very good man manager, but you’ve got to ask someone else. From the outside, he looks like that anyway.

“He’s got good players, it’s the same with me. It’s easier to play an attacking way and your way when you’ve got good players, and he’s got lots of good players.”

Despite the positive start he has made to his reign, Solskjaer revealed he has had no further discussions about his situation with the United hierarchy.

He added: “No, we’ve not had that conversation. You don’t plan five or six months ahead and then suddenly, after two weeks, change that. No, nothing’s changed.

“We just keep working every single day on improving the team here. I work with a fantastic coaching staff, I have to say. We’ll put a plan together on how we want to look the next few months.”