Marcus Rashford

Marcus Rashford (born 31 October 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Manchester United and the England national team. Considered one of the best players in the world, he is known for his explosive athleticism, finishing and dribbling.

A Manchester United player from the age of seven, Rashford scored two goals on both his first-team debut against Midtjylland in the UEFA Europa League in February 2016 and his Premier League debut against Arsenal three days later. He also scored in his first Manchester derby, as well as on his EFL Cup and UEFA Champions League debuts. With United, Rashford has won the FA Cup, EFL Cup, FA Community Shield and UEFA Europa League.

Rashford scored on his England debut in May 2016, becoming the youngest English player to score in his first senior international match. He has since appeared at two UEFA European Championship; 2016, where he was the tournament's youngest player, and 2020, where he appeared in the Final as England finished as runners-up to Italy. He has also represented England at the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup.

He is a campaigner against racism, homelessness and child hunger in the United Kingdom. Rashford has been praised for using his platform to be a political activist and philanthropist to drive societal change. For his efforts, he has received widespread praise, and has been recognised for his efforts from organisations both in and outside of sport, and was subject of a mural painted by street artist Akse in Withington.

Early life

Marcus Rashford was born on 31 October 1997 in Manchester, and raised in the Fallowfield, Withington, and Wythenshawe areas of the city. He is of paternal Jamaican descent, and maternal Kittitian descent, with his grandmother being born on the West Indies island of Saint Kitts. Rashford comes from a working class family; his mother is Melanie Maynard, a single parent who often had to work multiple jobs to feed their family, sometimes skipping meals herself to ensure Rashford and his siblings ate. He has four older siblings; two brothers, Dwaine Maynard and Dane Rashford, both of whom went on to represent him professionally, and two sisters, Chantelle and Claire. He is a cousin of fellow footballer Lois Maynard, who currently plays as a midfielder for Oldham Athletic.

A lifelong supporter of his local football club Manchester United, Rashford grew up in a family divided in their support of United and local rivals Manchester City. Rashford attended Ashton-on-Mersey School, where United have sent their academy players since 1998, close to their Carrington training ground; he studied for a Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) National Diploma in Sport.

Club career

Early career

Rashford began playing football for Fletcher Moss Rangers at the age of five, starting out as a goalkeeper, and cited former United goalkeeper Tim Howard as his goalkeeping idol. Fletcher Ross Rangers academy development officer Dave Horrocks recalls that Rashford was on a "different level" to other boys, playing a major role as the team won a tournament with 15 scouts from various clubs watching.

He spent a week training with Manchester City before he joined the academy system at Manchester United at the age of seven, amid interest from Everton and Liverpool. He credited his brothers with helping him decide to join United. Former United youth coach Paul McGuinness quickly saw Rashford's potential due to his athleticism both on and off the ball, but during his early years at the club, he often had to miss training as he found it difficult to get to training due to his mother and brothers working, and eventually received assistance from youth coaches Dave Bushell, Eamon Mulvey, and Tony Whelan, who helped find drivers for Rashford to get to the training ground. When he was 11, he became the youngest ever player to be selected for the Manchester United Schoolboy Scholars scheme, usually reserved for players 12 and above. He was fastracked and began playing cage football with Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Ravel Morrison, helping to increase his skill level playing with players four years his senior.

In 2012, he was part of the Manchester United under-15 squad which finished second in the 23rd annual Marveld tournament. In 2014, ''The Guardian'' named him as Manchester United's best prospect in the 2014 Next Generation, saying that his " total-football style gives him a fair chance of going all the way". Rashford trained with United's first team for the first time aged 16 under the management of David Moyes during the 2013–14 season, and described the training session as "priceless" to himself and other United academy players; he began training with the first team more regularly, and was deemed a "high flier" by coaches.

In 2015, United Under-19s manager Nicky Butt praised Rashford's performances for the team in a group stage match of the UEFA Youth League. His inclusion in the team began following an injury to Demetri Mitchell, and he capitalised on his chance by scoring six goals in 11 games in the Under-18's Premier League, as well as three goals in the Youth League. He was awarded the captaincy of the team by Butt, who hailed him as a leader. Rashford was named on the first-team bench for the first time on 21 November by Louis van Gaal for a Premier League match against Watford, which Manchester United won 2–1. He received the number 39 squad number, due to Van Gaal's insistence that strikers wear a squad number containing a nine. The following week against Leicester City, he was again named on the bench, but was again unused in a 1–1 draw. In February 2016, Rashford was subject to a loan bid from League One club Crewe Alexandra, but the temporary transfer was rejected by Reserves manager Warren Joyce. Former teammate Sean Goss described how Rashford impressed in first-team training sessions while the club was suffering an injury crisis, despite being one of the younger players called up to train.

Manchester United

2015–16: Debut season

On 25 February 2016, Rashford was included in the 18-man squad for United's UEFA Europa League round of 32, second leg tie against Danish club Midtjylland, owing to an injury crisis which saw 13 players injured. After Anthony Martial was injured in the warm-up, Rashford was chosen to start the game, and marked his first-team debut with two goals in the second half of a 5–1 win. Rashford's goals made him United's youngest ever scorer in European competition, beating a record previously held by George Best, and which was later broken by Mason Greenwood in the 2019–20 season. Rashford made his Premier League debut against Arsenal three days later; he again scored twice and provided the assist for the other goal in a 3–2 home victory against their rivals, making him the third youngest scorer for United in the Premier League after Federico Macheda and Danny Welbeck. Van Gaal hailed his performance as "fantastic" and better than his first match, but urged caution from the press not to harass and hype him, feeling he had the character to cope.

On 20 March, Rashford made history when he scored the only goal in the Manchester derby, his team's first away league win over Manchester City since 2012; aged just 18 years and 141 days, he became the youngest scorer in the fixture in the Premier League era, overtaking Wayne Rooney's record by almost one year. During the FA Cup sixth-round replay against West Ham United on 13 April, Rashford scored a fantastic curled goal in a 2–1 win to help United advance to the semi-final. Three days later, he scored the only goal of the game against Aston Villa, who were subsequently relegated for the first time since 1987. He later led the line in the FA Cup Final against Crystal Palace on 21 May, which ended in a 2–1 victory marking United's 12th FA Cup win and Rashford's first piece of silverware. He wrapped up the season with 8 goals in 18 appearances, despite only debuting in February, as well as winning the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year. On 30 May, Rashford signed a new contract with United worth £20,000 a week, which would keep him at the club until 2020, with an option to extend for a further year.

2016–17: First team breakthrough and European success

For the new season, marking his place as part of the senior squad, Rashford was given the number 19 by new manager José Mourinho. The signing of veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimović meant he often had to settle for a place on the substitutes bench, though upon his signing, Ibrahimović praised Rashford as a "huge talent" and "the future of England".

Rashford scored his first goal of the season on 27 August 2016 against Hull City, scoring in the second minute of injury time after coming on for Juan Mata in the 71st minute. He scored thrice more the next month, on 18 September in a 3–1 league defeat to Watford; on 21 September in a 3–1 victory against Northampton Town in the EFL Cup third round; and in a 4–1 league win over Leicester City on 24 September. The following month, he was named as runner-up to Portugal's Renato Sanches in the Golden Boy award for best European player under the age of 21. On the pitch, however, he failed to score until 7 January 2017, when he scored a four-minute brace in the FA Cup against Jaap Stam's Reading, which ended 4–0.

Rashford won his third trophy on 26 February in the EFL Cup Final, coming on as a 77th-minute substitute in the 3–2 victory over Southampton. He was an instrumental part of United's 2–0 win over league leaders' Chelsea on 16 April, scoring the first goal after seven minutes from Ander Herrera's through ball. Rashford scored another key goal four days later against Anderlecht in the 107th minute of the Europa League quarter-final second leg in a 2–1 win (3–2 on aggregate), sending United into the next round. He started in the Europa League Final on 24 May against Dutch team Ajax, which Manchester United won 2–0 thus earning his fourth, and first European, trophy. Due to the signing of Ibrahimović, Rashford spent the majority of the season on the wing. He made the most appearances of any United player during the season, playing 53 times.

2017–19: Sustained Individual success and number 10 shirt

Rashford made his first appearance of his second full senior season on 8 August 2017 against Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup as a 46th-minute substitute in a 2–1 defeat. He started in a 4–0 home win against West Ham United five days later on 13 August, providing the assist for Romelu Lukaku's opening goal. Rashford scored his first goal of the season on 26 August, the opener in a 2–0 victory over Leicester, three minutes after coming on as a substitute. On 12 September, Rashford scored against Basel on his UEFA Champions League debut, the third in a 3–0 win, marking the sixth competition that he had scored on his debut. He scored a brace against Burton Albion on 20 September in the EFL Cup third round, as well as assisting the fourth goal in a 4–1 victory.

On 23 October, Rashford came third in the 2017 Golden Boy award behind winner Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé. By 28 October, Rashford had contributed to 12 goals in 16 games, with seven goals and five assists, with his most recent goal being against Huddersfield Town on 21 October and his most recent assist coming against Swansea City on 24 October. On 6 December, he put in a man of the match performance in a 2–1 victory against CSKA Moscow, scoring the winning goal to help United qualify for the knockout phase of the Champions League. In the January transfer window, the club signed Alexis Sánchez, threatening Rashford's future in the team.

On 10 March 2018, Rashford scored both goals in a 2–1 win over rivals Liverpool on his first Premier League start of the year. Three days later, United were eliminated from the Champions League after a 2–1 defeat to Spanish side Sevilla, with Rashford producing the assist for United's goal. Mourinho was criticised for playing Rashford out of position on the right wing, where he was unable to play with any "spontaneity and freedom". Rashford scored in United's last game of the season on 13 May, a 1–0 victory over Watford at Old Trafford. At the conclusion of the season, Mourinho rejected the possibility of Rashford leaving on loan, pointing out Rashford had been selected for almost every match of the season.

Prior to the 2018–19 season, Rashford was given the squad number 10 following the release of Ibrahimović, the club's previous number 10. The shirt had also previously been worn in the Premier League by Teddy Sheringham, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Wayne Rooney, and he was the third academy graduate to wear it after Mark Hughes and David Beckham. On 2 September, Rashford was sent off in a 2–0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor after clashing heads with Phil Bardsley, having only been on the pitch for 10 minutes; Mourinho labelled him "naïve", and put it down to inexperience. On 11 September, ''Sky Sports'' pundit Jamie Carragher opined that Rashford would have to leave United to reach his potential, having not started a game in the season at that point. Mourinho defended his use of Rashford in the team, suggesting that other clubs did not give youth players the same game time Rashford had recorded in the prior two seasons; he started his first game and subsequently scored his first goal of the season on 29 September in a 3–1 loss to West Ham United. On 3 November, he scored again, providing a winning goal in the second minute of stoppage time in a 2–1 win over AFC Bournemouth.

On 1 December, Rashford provided both assists in United's 2–2 draw with Southampton, with the goals coming from Lukaku and Herrera. The following Saturday against Fulham, he provided two assists for Ashley Young and Juan Mata before scoring the final goal in a 4–1 victory. On 22 December, Rashford scored in the third minute of Manchester United's first match under new interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær, in which United beat Cardiff City 5–1. On 30 December, Rashford again scored against Bournemouth in his final game of 2018, also assisting Paul Pogba's first goal in United's 4–1 victory. Solskjær praised Rashford's performances during the beginning of his reign, describing him as "different class", and said he thought Rashford had the chance to become one of the best strikers in the world. During United's first match of 2019 on 2 January, Rashford assisted their first goal from a free kick and scored the second in a 2–0 win over Newcastle United at St James' Park. Following this series of performances, pundit Gary Neville praised Rashford for beginning to play beyond just his potential, establishing himself as a "devastating" forward player.

On 13 January, Rashford scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium; this marked the first time he had scored in three successive league games in his career, the third youngest to achieve this for United behind only Rooney and Ronaldo. The following week, he made his 150th appearance for the club in a 2–1 win against Brighton & Hove Albion, scoring a solo goal to become the youngest player in United's history to score in four successive league games, and the fourth youngest to reach 150 games, behind Norman Whiteside, George Best, and Ryan Giggs. On 2 February, Rashford was announced as Manchester United's Player of the Month for January 2019, as well as winning United's goal of the month for his strike against Tottenham. A day later, he made his 100th league appearance for the club and scored the only goal in a 1–0 away victory over Leicester City. In doing so, he became the second-youngest player after Giggs to reach the milestone for the club. His impressive performances in January earned him his first Premier League Player of the Month title, becoming the first United player since Ibrahimović in December 2016 to win the award.

On 6 March, Rashford scored from his first competitive penalty for the club, sealing a 3–1 win in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain to send the club through to the quarter-final on the away goals rule; he also contributed to Lukaku's equaliser, who scored off the rebound from Rashford's initial shot. Solskjær described him as "fearless" for taking the penalty. On 30 March, Rashford scored the opening goal in United's first victory with Solskjær as permanent manager, beating Watford 2–1.

2019–22: Injury issues and loss in form

On 1 July 2019, Rashford signed a new four-year contract with Manchester United, keeping him at the club until June 2023, with the option to extend by a further year. On the opening week of the season, Rashford scored a brace in a 4–0 win over Chelsea. In September 2019, following a spell of poor form, Solskjær said he was not concerned about Rashford's dip in form and lack of goals. Towards the end of October, a return to form saw Rashford score in a 1–1 draw with rivals Liverpool, ending their 17 match winning streak. The following week, Rashford scored and assisted against Norwich City, and scored a second brace against Chelsea in the EFL Cup. The return to form sparked by the Liverpool goal saw Rashford go on the best goalscoring run of his career to date, scoring 16 club goals in 20 matches, ending the run with a brace in a 4–0 victory over Norwich City. Rashford suffered a double stress fracture to the back in the following game, an FA Cup tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers, which put him out of action for several months. By playing in the game, he became the fourth youngest United player to have played 200 games for the club.

The season was halted for over three months, following a decision on 13 March 2020 by the Premier League to suspend the league after a number of players and other club staff became ill due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, manager Solskjær announced that Rashford would be fit to play following the return to football during project restart, which saw the Premier League season resume behind closed doors for the remainder of the season. On 4 July, he scored his first goal since the restart as United beat Bournemouth 5–2. On 16 July, he scored his 17th Premier League goal of the season in a 2–0 victory against Crystal Palace, equalling his tally in the two previous seasons combined. At the end of season, Rashford was voted third for the English FWA Footballer of the Year award, and he also received the PFA Merit Award