Last December, Marcus Rashford shared in an interview that he was ready to leave Man United. Many speculations have begun to emerge as the striker has not featured in the Red Devils' games since mid-December.
The prospect of a breakup is almost certain to happen as he is no longer trusted by coach Ruben Amorim.
This will probably be an ending that many people regret, when looking back on Rashford's 20-year journey with the Old Trafford team.
The dong dong of Man United Academy
In 2004, at the age of 7, Rashford joined United's academy. His love for the club has been nurtured since childhood because his family are also fans of the Manchester Red Devils.
Rashford soon showed superiority over his peers. At the age of 11, he trained with Paul Pogba, Ravel Morisson and Jesse Lingard, improving his skills with his 4 years older brothers.
Performing excellently in the U12 squad, Rashford trained and left a good impression throughout his training period in the youth team system of Man United. In 2015, he scored 6 goals in 11 appearances in the UEFA Youth League as a member of the U19 team.
Rashford was appointed captain by United legend Nicky Butt and that was an important step for him to be called up to the first team.
The Red Devils' captain at the time, Louis Van Gaal, gave Rashford the opportunity to train with his seniors since November 2015, but it was not until the squad was affected by injuries that he was registered to compete. At that time, the player born in 1997 wore the number 39 shirt.
The journey of the first team
On 25 February 2016, Rashford made his fan debut for Midtjylland in the Europa League after Anthony Martial was injured in the warm-up. He scored 2 goals, contributing to the final victory of 5-1. At that time, most fans did not know who he was.
But it was not until the summer of 2016 that Rashford's name made a big impression, with 8 goals in 18 appearances. The board rewarded him with a new contract, with better financial benefits.
In the 2016-17 season, he became an important part of Jose Mourinho's squad. With the club recruiting striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he has spent much of his time playing on the wing, but has still scored many important goals, including the decisive goal against Anderlecht to take Man United to the Europa League semi-finals.
Rashford continues to improve and be valued over many coaching periods. In 2018, he was given the number 10 shirt, previously worn by Ibrahimovic.
In the following season (2019-2020), Rashford recorded the best result of his career, with 22 goals in 44 matches. In the 2022-2023 season, he broke his own record with 30 goals, contributing greatly to Man United finishing 3rd in the Premier League.
Last season, when the club declined under Erik ten Hag, Rashford's performance also declined. He received a lot of criticism from fans when he received a high salary, but his contribution was less than expected. Until Ruben Amorim took over this season, the English striker was left out of the plan due to not showing a good attitude when training.
Now, Man United is not obstructing Rashford's departure, as long as the club meets the financial conditions. The Red Devils also want to free up their salary fund and are ready for loan offers or buy-in. After more than 20 years of association since childhood, Rashford may have understood that the time to part ways is very close.
