Rooney's Challenge to Rashford: Rediscovering the Hunger for Manchester United

Wayne Rooney believes only one player can take his Manchester United goals record – Marcus Rashford – but warns it will happen only if the forward rediscovers his hunger for the club.

Rooney, whose 253 goals keep him at the top of United’s all-time scoring charts, used his new podcast, Stick to United, to deliver a blunt challenge to the 28-year-old.

Rooney’s challenge to Rashford

"It’s just such a strange one with Marcus because I think we know he’s got the ability. I think he’s shown that," Rooney said. "For me, has he got the hunger, does he want to play for Manchester United?"

Rashford’s United career is braced for a restart. A mixed loan spell at Barcelona last season ended without a permanent move, and after a previous stint at Aston Villa in 2025, he has now been involved in Michael Carrick’s pre-season plans as he looks to convince the club he still belongs at Old Trafford.

Rooney, who once handed in his own request to leave back in 2010 before rebuilding his bond with the club, believes Rashford faces a similar crossroads.

"Now, if he wants to play for Manchester United, I think the first thing he has to do – I’ve been there in 2010 when I asked to leave the football club – he has to build a relationship with the fans," Rooney explained.

"And the easiest way to do that is to work hard and body language. I think Marcus’ body language isn’t great, and so it might be something he has to work on. He might have to work with someone to make his body language look better."

Body language, work rate, and the record in sight

The numbers show the scale of the opportunity in front of Rashford. He already sits 15th on United’s all-time list with 138 goals, despite last featuring for the club in December 2024 under former boss Ruben Amorim, before being sent on loan to Villa Park and then the Nou Camp.

Rooney is adamant the path to the top of that list is clear if Rashford is prepared to embrace the grind.

"I think his work rate has to improve, but if he wants to be at the football club, he just needs to knuckle down," Rooney said. "You do it, and he’s a young lad. He’s from Manchester. He’s the one player who can go and get my goalscoring record."

The message is both encouragement and warning. The talent is not in doubt. The application, Rooney insists, is the question.

United, not Barcelona or Villa

Rooney made it clear he has no interest in seeing Rashford shine anywhere else.

"I don’t want to see Marcus Rashford doing well at Aston Villa or doing well at Barcelona," he said. "I want to see him doing well at Manchester United and scoring goals for Manchester United."

"But that means he has to just get his head down, work his socks off, and then be more positive."

The pressure, Rooney says, must come from within.

"But it’s on him. If he’s back playing for Manchester United, I think he has to have a real close look at who’s round him.

"Only he can say who the people are around him who he really trusts. Because there’s not many people you trust really. It’d be a small amount of people, keep them close to him, go into training, work hard, get himself right. If he does that, he’ll be fine."

The stage is set: a hometown forward, a club legend’s record, and a second act that will be defined not by talent, but by how badly Marcus Rashford really wants it at Manchester United.