WELCOME TO THE NEXT 10 YEARS
‘HE BELIEVED HE COULD, SO HE DID’
The words stand proudly next to a framed photograph, from one of Marcus Rashford’s early England appearances. FourFourTwo have been welcomed inside the 22-year-old’s home, and it soon provides a very visible sense of how far belief can take you, in just four years of professional football.
The young Manchester United forward has already accumulated an eye-boggling number of mementoes from his most important matches: a boot from his triumphant first outing in an FA Cup final, a Europa League winner’s medal, England man-of-the-match prizes and a frankly dazzling number of caps.
Already, Rashford has represented his country 38 times. If he can make another 12 appearances by the end of March 2021 – England will be playing anything between 15 and 19 internationals prior to that date – then he will become the youngest player ever to earn 50 caps for the Three Lions.
Already, he is the fourth-youngest player to make 200 outings for Manchester United, behind Ryan Giggs, George Best and Norman Whiteside. He has represented the Red Devils more times than Eric Cantona – admittedly helped by the fact that Rashford has never booted a Crystal Palace supporter in the chest.
Despite all of that, meeting Rashford at home is a reminder that, vast footballing achievements aside, he is still much like most other 22-year-olds – ready to relax on the sofa after a tiring day at work, wearing the same casual clothes, and sharing the same banter with his siblings. “Look, if it came down to it and we all had a fight... all right, a grapple... I would win,” he jokes with his two elder brothers, Dwaine and Dane.
When he is not carefully making a return from a back injury, the United marksman is known to enjoy a kickabout inside the house, too. Just don’t tell his mother.
“My mum moved out, so I don’t get shouted at for playing in the house any more,” says a smiling Rashford, sat across the sofa from FFT. Since his rise to stardom, he has gifted mum Melanie a plush new place of her own, to thank her for everything she has done for him. So, has the striker ever accidentally broken anything during his impromptu indoor games?
“Yeah, there’s been a few vases… you’re going to get me in trouble here!” he says, bursting into laughter. “But I think it’s something we all do. Anyone who loves football: when there’s a ball in front of you, it’s hard not to kick it...”
“WHEN I WAS 11, I KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED”
Rashford loved football from the very start. It’s a passion that has driven him to where he is now. The Wythenshawe-born forward has loved Manchester
