Marcus Rashford Ready to Shape Manchester United’s Season
Harry Maguire insists Marcus Rashford is ready to shape Manchester United’s season, describing the forward as a “great asset” as he prepares to stay at Old Trafford beyond the transfer deadline.
Rashford made his first Premier League start for United in 21 months in the 5-2 win over Ipswich at Old Trafford, and looked like the old danger again – direct, aggressive, constantly threatening. For a player who only a few months ago seemed to be heading out for good, it felt like a reset.
Not long ago, his United future looked broken. Rashford fell out with former manager Ruben Amorim, was sent on loan to Aston Villa and then Barcelona, and would have stayed in Catalonia had Barça triggered a £26m option. They didn’t. With the window closing on Tuesday night, he is now set to remain at his boyhood club.
“He’s a great talent. He’s always a threat,” said Maguire. “If Marcus wants to be here, wants to work, wants to improve and help the team, of course we’re willing to have him in the team.
“He could still do a lot more and I think he’ll say he can do more but if we keep him fit, we keep him happy, he keeps driven and hungry, he’s a great asset to have.”
Rashford has lived with scrutiny for years, the noise rarely quiet. Questions over his work-rate, his commitment, even whether he still enjoys football, have followed him since Erik ten Hag’s time in charge.
The loans changed the picture. Under Unai Emery at Aston Villa and Hansi Flick at Barcelona, Rashford rediscovered sharpness and structure. Now he returns to a United side led by Michael Carrick, a coach who knows him well from his earlier years at the club and is seen as someone who can tap into that familiarity.
“You’ve got to remember Marcus has had a wonderful career for this club,” Maguire said.
“But when you play at this club for numerous years, there’s going to be bad seasons, and when the bad seasons come everyone piles on you. That’s part and parcel of playing for this club.
“As a club, we haven’t been perfect from top to bottom. We haven’t been challenging at the top end. So, Marcus has been part of a rough ride for Manchester United.
“When that happens, players get dug out. I’ve been through it.”
Maguire knows the cycle well. He lost his place and the captaincy under Ten Hag and looked certain to leave at one stage. Now he is back in the side and speaking like a player who has survived the storm and recognises another doing the same.
“He’s come back in, really fit and sharp and we’re excited to have him,” Maguire added.
Carrick has likened Rashford’s return to having a new signing. The United manager already has form for reviving careers: he has rejuvenated Kobbie Mainoo, who was repeatedly overlooked by Amorim and then endured a fresh blow when England boss Thomas Tuchel did not give him a single minute at the World Cup.
Against Ipswich, Mainoo also made his first start of the season. United went behind, the atmosphere tightened, and the young midfielder had to grow into the game. He did.
“I thought he was brilliant,” said Maguire. “To say he hasn’t had many minutes in pre-season, he was magnificent.
“His work without the ball has improved so much since Michael’s been in. He’s becoming a real monster in there, wins a lot of second balls and a lot of duels.”
This is the other strand of United’s rebuild under Carrick: established stars trying to rediscover themselves alongside youngsters learning how to ride the waves. Mainoo, still at the very start of his journey, is already being warned about what lies ahead.
“The thing is he’s so young. If we want him to play for this club for another 10 years, there’s going to be times where he’s going to go through a patch like I spoke about with Rashy and myself,” Maguire said.
“But that’s part and parcel. He’s really level-headed, really composed and has great belief in his ability.
“He’s going to be a magnificent player for this club for many years.”
For Carrick and United, the challenge is clear: keep Rashford fit and hungry, keep Mainoo progressing, and turn isolated flashes like the Ipswich win into a standard. If they manage that, this season might not just be about survival and repair, but about a new core finally taking shape at Old Trafford.
