How Marcus Rashford went from schoolboy sensation to Manchester United superstar

On Sunday Rashford became the second fastest United player to reach a century of Premier League games for Manchester United – behind only Ryan Giggs and he scored the sixth goal in his last eight league appearances in the process.

It’s been a rapid rise for the 21-year-old, and the graph of improvement is showing a sharp spike at the moment, with his form as a central striker in Solskjaer’s system leading to talks over a new long-term deal.

It was three years ago this month that he burst onto the scene like a shooting star. Promoted from the bench against FC Midtjylland after Anthony Martial injury, he scored twice on a dream debut. Three days later he started in the Premier League against Arsenal and scored twice again. A star was born.

But there was no chance Rashford was about to take it easy, to think he’d made it. Stuivenberg was one of van Gaal’s trusted sidekicks at Old Trafford and he would regularly sit down with the teenage forward to discuss his progress.

“When I was still involved I had a lot of individual talks with him and talks with images,” said Stuivenberg, who is now Giggs’ assistant at Wales.

“He was always open to learning, he wanted to think about the game and his own performance himself, not only because a coach tells him things.”

It’s a familiar tale. It was on the Mersey Bank playing fields in West Didsbury where Rashford took his first steps in this story, with Fletcher Moss Rangers. David Horrocks, development officer and skills coach at the renowned grassroots club, insists they can’t take much credit for where he stands now, given he left when he was eight, but memories of his talent and his character remain sharp.

“We say he was a great listener, because he was, the best listeners are the best learners,” said Horrocks. “He prepared himself for everything he wanted to do and that’s why he’s doing so well.”

Fletcher Moss soon saw Rashford depart for the bright lights of Old Trafford.

“The tournament he was scouted at I think he scored 12 goals in one of the games. We could have done with two balls on the pitch, one for Marcus and one for the rest of the team,” remembers Horrocks.

Rashford would often play an age group up as he came through the system at United’s academy, something Horrocks believes helped prepare him for making an impact when his chance arrived, both at Old Trafford and with England.

 

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