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Marcus Rashford

Marcus Rashford MBE (born 31 October 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team.

"Rashford" redirects here. For the Jamaican aerospace engineer, see Robert Rashford.

Personal information

Marcus Rashford

(1997-10-31) 31 October 1997

Manchester, England

5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[1]

10

Team

A product of the Manchester United youth system, Rashford joined the club at the age of seven. Rashford scored two goals on both his first-team and European 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, two EFL Cups, the FA Community Shield and the 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 runners-up to Italy. He has also represented England at the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup.


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

Early life

Marcus Rashford[2] was born on 31 October 1997[3] in Manchester,[4] and raised in the Fallowfield, Withington, and Wythenshawe areas of the city.[5][6] He is of paternal Jamaican descent,[7] and maternal Kittitian descent, with his grandmother born on the West Indies island of Saint Kitts.[8] Rashford comes from a working class family; his mother is Melanie Maynard, a single parent who worked multiple jobs, sometimes skipping meals to ensure her children had enough to eat.[9][10][11] Rashford has four older siblings: two brothers, Dwaine Maynard and Dane Rashford, both of whom went on to represent him professionally,[12] and two sisters, Chantelle and Claire.[11][13] He is a cousin of footballer Lois Maynard, who plays as a midfielder for Radcliffe.


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.[14] Rashford attended Ashton-on-Mersey School, where United have sent their academy players since 1998, close to their Carrington training ground;[15][16] he studied for a Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) National Diploma in Sport.[17]

Club career

Early career

Rashford began playing football for Fletcher Moss Rangers at the age of five,[18] starting out as a goalkeeper, and cited former United goalkeeper Tim Howard as his goalkeeping idol.[19][20] Fletcher Moss 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.[21]


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.[22][23] He credited his brothers with helping him decide to join United.[24] Former United youth coach Paul McGuinness quickly saw Rashford's potential due to his athleticism both on and off the ball,[21] but during his early years at the club he often had to miss training as a result of difficulty getting there while his mother and brothers were at work. He 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.[25] 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.[21] 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.[21][26]


In 2012, he was part of the Manchester United under-15 squad which finished second in the 23rd annual Marveld tournament.[27] 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".[28] 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.[20]


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.[29] 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.[30] He was awarded the captaincy of the team by Butt, who hailed him as a leader.[31] 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.[32] He received the number 39 squad number, due to Van Gaal's insistence that strikers wear a squad number containing a nine.[33] The following week against Leicester City, he was again named on the bench, but was again unused in a 1–1 draw.[34] 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.[35][36] 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.[37]

International career

Youth

In 2012, Rashford was invited to an England under-16 training camp,[169] and was later selected to play in the Victory Shield against Northern Ireland under-16s in September,[170] and Wales under-16s in October.[171] Under-16's manager Kenny Swain later revealed that Rashford only played two appearances for the side due to an understanding with coaches at Manchester United regarding him being underdeveloped physically, and also thought the exposure would have been "too much" for him.[37]


Three weeks after making his senior début for United in early 2016, Rashford made his first appearance for the England under-20 team, providing an assist for Kasey Palmer in a 2–1 defeat to Canada under-20s.[172] Despite already making his senior début earlier in the year, Rashford was called up to the England under-21 team for the first time in August 2016 for a fixture in September against Norway under-21s.[173] He scored a hat-trick in the 6–1 home victory over Norway in his only appearance for the team,[174] scoring the third with a penalty, his first since turning professional.[175] Under-21 manager Gareth Southgate praised Rashford for his humility in dropping down to under-21 level.[176]


Despite having already made his senior tournament début, it was expected Rashford would be available for selection for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, with the hopes of gaining more tournament experience.[177] United manager José Mourinho responded to these reports by stating it would make no sense for his development as he was already playing senior football.[178] In April 2017, Mourinho appeared to concede Rashford would attend the tournament, saying he had no right to stop him from participating,[179] but later in the month reiterated his opinion that dropping down wouldn't make sense, with Rashford having gained so much senior experience throughout the season.[180] In May, Rashford made the decision not to go to the tournament,[181] and was instead selected for the senior squad by Southgate, the new manager.[182] Southgate praised the decisions taken by United coaching staff in helping maximise the potential of Rashford by not allowing him exposure at youth level for England, saying his development had been handled well by all parties.[183]

Player profile

Style of play and development

Rashford can play as either a centre forward or a winger, primarily on the left-wing.[240][241][242] Rashford himself prefers playing on the left, a position which allows him to cut inside and strike on goal with his stronger right foot, and likes to drop deep to collect the ball and build an attack, something he learned as a youngster when playing as a central midfielder following a battle with Osgood–Schlatter disease.[242][243] In his formative years, Rashford's former youth coach Paul McGuinness noted how he was attempting to play similarly to Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo, but he and fellow coaches Warren Joyce and Colin Little saw Rashford's potential as a striker and helped him work on his body shape and various attacking runs.[244] They advised him to focus on being a goalscorer rather than a creative player, and to use his pace to make runs behind the defence.[26] His coaches were reminded of Danny Welbeck due to his versatility, but it was decided to instead teach him the "art" of goalscoring, instructing him how to make runs at the right time, and was held back from playing reserve team football to give him confidence in his goalscoring abilities by pitting him against lesser defences.[21] Rashford says his versatility can enable him to become the "ultimate centre forward".[245]


Rashford is a pacey and direct player,[240][242][246][247] and often moves to central positions to create chances and get into goalscoring positions.[121][248] He constantly tests defenders both with his movement and positioning off the ball, meaning opponents often double up on him.[240] Rashford's former United manager José Mourinho has said he is "not a target man, he is a man of movement. I do not think he is a pure nine",[249] comments echoed by his manager with England, Gareth Southgate, who has said his ability to play with his back to goal and his hold-up play weren't his major strengths, and is better suited as a "wide raider" coming in off the wing.[250] United captain and England compatriot Harry Maguire attributes Rashford's reputation for being a goal threat to his movement and "clever play".[251]


Another former manager at United, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, has been credited with improving him as a player and helping him mature by giving him freedom as a winger he hadn't previously experienced.[252][253] Rashford's main attributes also include his dribbling ability,[254] and his "ruthless" finishing ability, which has been compared to that of former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy,[255] a player McGuinness advised him to study while they worked together in the club's academy.[256] Rashford understands the need for a striker to be able to score different kinds of goals to be a player who can score 20 to 25 per season,[121] and is said to be a player with composure and awareness.[257][258] Rashford often takes penalties and free kicks for United,[259][260] and has been known to use the knuckleball technique on set pieces, which was popularised by Cristiano Ronaldo during his first spell at the club.[261] England teammate Phil Foden has described his striking technique as being among the "top three in the world".[262]


His success has been credited to his drive and personal ambition both on and off the pitch, and is viewed as a role model for younger players like Mason Greenwood due to his success at a young age.[263][264] He attributes his "focus and dedication" to watching and listening to former United striker Robin van Persie,[265] and recalls seeing pictures of former academy players such as David Beckham and Paul Scholes on the walls of Carrington, United's training centre, and being determined to reach the same level they had.[20] According to McGuinness he was always professional and mature,[266] and even at a young age, has been described as a leader,[267] with former United and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves saying he has the characteristics to be a captain.[268] Rashford has praised former teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović and Mourinho with helping improve his mentality, describing their combined influence as key to his development.[269][270] He has been described as a "big game player" due to his performances and contributions in important matches,[271][272][273][274] including on several débuts for club and country.[275][276] Rashford has also received praise for his willingness to play on despite major injuries, with manager Solskjær saying he would "run through a brick wall for you",[277] while his captain Harry Maguire describes him as a battler.[278] Louis van Gaal, Rashford's first senior manager, and Fletcher Moss coach Dave Horrocks have both praised his ability to handle criticism, with van Gaal saying it was amongst his best assets.[279][280]

Comparisons

He is seen as a similar type of player to Thierry Henry in terms of style of play, physical attributes and end product.[246][281][282] Van Gaal said his performances at a young age were similar to those of Patrick Kluivert, who he had managed at Ajax in the 1990s.[283] Erik ten Hag, the United manager from the 2022–23 season, compared him to favourably to Kylian Mbappe due to the similar nature of their roles.[284][285] Growing up, the player he most tried to emulate was Brazilian striker Ronaldo, having watched him score a hat-trick for Real Madrid in a Champions League quarter-final in the first match he attended live at Old Trafford.[286] Speaking about Ronaldo, Rashford said: "I've grown up watching so much of him and his games. He always played free, and went out there and expressed himself. When you do that, that's when you play your best football."[286][287]


Rashford said that Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney were United players he idolised in his youth, having seen them join the team at an early age and watched many of their games live,[23] and said of Ronaldo that "there is no bigger inspiration in football" after Rashford had begun his own professional career;[288] comparisons have been made between the development of the two by Southgate, Solskjær, and McGuinness.[289][290][16] He credits Rooney's professionalism with helping him mature in the early stages of his career, describing how he was "always ready to play and give his best",[291] and has been tipped by Little to break Rooney's goalscoring record of 253 goals for the club.[292] He has been described as a "student of the game", continuing to watch matches of players such as Lionel Messi and Sergio Agüero with the idea of studying and learning to improve his own game.[21][293]

Charity and activism

Food poverty campaign

In October 2019, Rashford set up the In the Box campaign with Selfridges to give homeless people essential items over the Christmas period,[294][295] something he had wanted to do when first training with United as a youth.[296] He and his mother visited homeless shelters to personally hand the boxes out, while also sending some to a children's home in his grandmother's home country of Saint Kitts and Nevis.[297] He was reportedly frustrated by the limited outreach the campaign resulted in.[11]


In March 2020, during the UK lockdown imposed by Boris Johnson's government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rashford teamed up with the poverty and food waste charity FareShare to deliver meals to those in the Greater Manchester area who were no longer receiving their free school meals,[298] as well as to children who attended community centres and school breakfast clubs.[299] Rashford initially contacted FareShare to make a "substantial" donation, but after discussion with CEO Lindsay Boswell, he decided to provide his full support.[11] With an initial target of supporting 400,000 children in the region, the initiative quickly raised over £20 million to provide food for children nationwide who, if still at school, would be receiving free school meals.[300][297] On 11 June, Rashford revealed that the charity had been able to provide 3 million meals across the country,[301] a figure that rose to 4 million the following month.[302]


On 15 June, Rashford wrote an open letter to the UK government calling on them to end UK child poverty.[303] A day later, the government announced a change in policy regarding the extension of free school meals for children during the summer holidays,[304] with Rashford's campaign credited as a major turning point in governmental talks;[305] Rashford described himself as "proud" of what he had helped accomplish on behalf of 1.3 million children.[306][307] His actions were described as a "political masterclass" by The Guardian,[308] and he was praised for countering comments made by Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock regarding the contributions of footballers.[11][309] On 1 September, in an attempt to tackle child food poverty, Rashford announced that he had set up the Child Food Poverty Task Force in collaboration with several UK food shops, manufacturers, charities and delivery companies.[310][311] Later that month, he said he was "disappointed by the lack of empathy" being shown by Conservative members of parliament.[312]


After he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in October, Rashford vowed to continue his campaign,[313] and a week later he began a petition on the UK Parliament petitions website to end child food poverty, with demands made for expansion of the free school meals programme, provision of meals and activities during school holidays, and an increase in the value of Healthy Start vouchers.[314] The petition received over 100,000 signatures in 10 hours, meaning it had passed the threshold to be considered for parliamentary debate, and received over 200,000 signatures in the first day.[315] With the petition close to 300,000 signatures after less than a week, Labour proposed an opposition day debate on the matter of extending free school meals,[316] which was rejected by a majority of 61.[317] Rashford criticised those who voted against it as lacking humanity.[318]


Later that week, Rashford began using his Twitter account to promote cafés, individual people, charities and local businesses offering assistance to FareShare to help the impoverished around the country.[319][320] He received the local backing of the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, and The Co-operative Group, to provide 1,000 food vouchers over half-term,[321] which was quickly followed by councils and businesses across the North-West backing the efforts.[322] He described himself as "blown away" by the nationwide support which followed,[323] with over 100 businesses, charities, and local councils quickly pledging to the campaign.[324] The same day, FareShare announced their new warehouse would be named Melanie Maynard House in honour of Rashford's mother,[325] and it was revealed they had received donations in record numbers in the day following the Parliamentary debate.[326] In the following days, over 1,200 had signed up to provide free meals over the half-term,[327] and Rashford's petition became only the sixth to reach over 1 million signatures.[328][329][330] On 8 November, it was announced that, because of Rashford's campaign, the government would be providing funding of almost £400m over the next 12 months to support the cost of food and household bills to poor families.[331] At the end of the month, former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and venture capitalist Michael Moritz pledged to double any donations through a Christmas fundraising appeal set up by Rashford in conjunction with The Times newspaper, with Ferguson declaring himself "proud" of Rashford.[332] The campaign had raised over £2.7 million by the beginning of January.[333]


In January 2021, Rashford again used his Twitter account to begin highlighting the "unacceptable" food packages parents had received through supplier Chartwells, an offspring of Compass Group,[334][335] with Johnson again pressured into conducting a review into the situation after the pair had a conversation regarding the matter.[336] During Prime Minister's Questions on 13 January, Johnson credited Rashford as being more effective opposition than the actual Leader of the Opposition Keir Starmer, the current Leader of the Labour Party.[337]


In April 2021, Rashford with chef Tom Kerridge, announced the launch of a series of recipes and online video lessons which will be available each week on Instagram and on recipe cards in supermarkets, schools and food banks to provide cheap and simple recipe ideas such as spaghetti bolognese and fish finger sandwich so that people could cook simple menus at home with the ideal that no one would go to bed feeling hungry.[338]

Personal life

In May 2022, Rashford announced his engagement to girlfriend Lucia Loi.[380] They had been dating since meeting in school, and briefly split in 2021 before reconciling.[381] However, they announced their split in June 2023.[382]


Rashford is Christian, and has said, "The faith we have in God is shown by the people that we are."[383] He has also talked about his values and how his mother impacted him: "The rules and the respect we had for each other. For my whole upbringing, she was the leader in that".[384]


He enjoys playing on PlayStation games consoles,[385][386] and listens to rap and grime music,[387] naming Dave as among his favourites.[388] The pair linked for the 2022 advertisement Never Beaten for Beats.[389] Rashford also owns a Cane Corso, purchased in 2018, who is his guard dog.[390]

: 2016[418]

FA Community Shield

: 2016–17;[63] runner-up: 2020–21[419]

UEFA Europa League

Manchester United


England


Individual


Orders and special awards

at the Manchester United F.C. website

Profile

at the Football Association website

Profile

UEFA competition record (archive

Marcus Rashford