Barcelona coach Hansi Flick lauded the "fantastic" Marcus Rashford after the England forward's brace earned a 2-1 Champions League win over Newcastle on Thursday, but says he must now take more steps forward.
Rashford opened his account for Barça with a 58th-minute header and then added his second goal nine minutes later when he fired in an unstoppable shot from outside the box.
Anthony Gordon pulled one back for the home side in the last minute, but Barça saw the game out to ensure their European campaign began with a win at a noisy St. James' Park.
"For me it was the first step," Flick said of Rashford's performance in a news conference. "He has to make the next step.
"This match, these goals here in England against Newcastle, for Barcelona in the first Champions League match this season, it's great.
"It gives him confidence in himself. This is the most important thing."
Rashford joined Barça on a season-long loan from Manchester United in the summer and had failed to register a goal in his first four appearances for the club.
However, he impressed in last Sunday's win over Valencia, setting up a goal for Raphinha, and stepped up against Newcastle in the absence of the injured Lamine Yamal.
"I am not surprised [by his goals]," Flick added. "I think he's a fantastic player. His skills are unbelievable and his finishing is unbelievable.
"I think also in the first half, he tried to create chances, but the finishing wasn't there. In the second half it was.
"For a striker, it's always good to score. I am really happy. He is an important player. When we spoke before the season about what we needed in the team, we felt we needed a player like him.
"When we had this chance [to sign him], I said we have to do it. He's an outstanding player."
Rashford's second goal was particularly eye-catching. Collecting the ball in the middle of the pitch, he took on Sandro Tonali before unleashing an effort which flew past Nick Pope and clipped the underside of the bar on the way in.
"It was a split second, I felt there was a gap," he told TNT. "I thought: 'Try to get a shot off.' Their player was trying to block it so I tried to lift it. I knew when I caught it that it would take the keeper some going to stop it."
Barça fell short at the semi-final stage last season and Rashford, who is relishing life at the club so far, says the objective this season is to lift the trophy.
"It's only to win it," he said of Barça's ambitions in the Champions League. "Nothing else is on our minds. We know how tough the competition is.
"[Playing for Barca is an] amazing experience. The [fans] want to see the team win and play good football. We want to win as much as possible.
"I'm full of excitement. I'm very motivated and determined. The quality we have in the team excites me. It's so refreshing to play with these players."
For Newcastle, it was a night of fine margins. Gordon and Harvey Barnes missed good chances in the first half, which could have seen the game swing in a different direction.
"There was a lot of effort, commitment and heart from the players," coach Eddie Howe said in a news conference. "It was a good performance, but not a great one. To beat Barça, it has to be great.
"We had the two big chances in the first half and when you concede the first goal the game swings on that one."
Howe added that he did not regret leaving club-record signing Nick Woltemade on the bench, but lamented not being able to give the home fans the first goal on a night when they created a ferocious atmosphere at St. James' Park.
"I thought the supporters were brilliant tonight," Howe said. "It's a shame we could not get the first goal because it would have taken us to an another level.
"Heart was certainly not lacking. Of course, we can be also critical and some things we could improve, but we will analyse it."