Marcus Rashford scored twice on Thursday evening as we came from behind, again, to beat Sheffield United 3-2 away. That takes his total for the season to 12 in 20 appearances. When you consider he scored 22 goals last season, 13 the two consecutive seasons before that, 11 before that, and eight in his debut campaign, you’d fancy this to be his best goalscoring season to date.
However, Rashford is keen to remember the sacrifices and help that Manchester United have offered him since the very beginning.
Talking to the official United podcast, Rashford has reflected on the coaches who have helped him along the way.
I’m going back to the very beginning here but Eamon Mulvey, Tony Whelan, Dave Bushell – without those guys I would never have managed to get through, it was just impossible. There were a few times when I would miss training because my mum had worked late and my brothers were working, my sisters both had babies and there was just no way of me getting there.
I remember missing training a few times and I just used to sit at home crying. I used to always stop before she (mum) would come home. She used to come home at the same time. But one time she came home early and she caught me crying in the front room. And that’s when I told her and she was the one who said to United, ‘We are going to need some form of help’, in order for me to get there. They are the people who got drivers for me. They made it possible that I could get to training. As a kid that was all that I wanted. This was at like eight, nine years old.
So, [without that support] I wouldn’t have even got to the situation of moving into digs and stuff. I wouldn’t have been there. I would have been doing something else.
United always say when you are growing up, ‘Express yourself on the pitch’. They are the ones who taught me that. I think that is why we have so many youngsters come through because without knowing it, they are ready to play. It’s credit to United and the system.
Following Thursday’s win, we were five points off first place with a game in hand. Rashford has talked about the belief he has in this United side.
I believe that the team that we have now is capable of winning big trophies. The fact that we have been knocked out of the Champions League obviously hurts. But we can’t change it now. It’s happened and the only way to respond is by winning the next game.
I feel like we are close but we are not quite there. We just need to make that final push to be a team that can win trophies and fight for everything. In the big games, we go toe-to-toe with any team and we know that we can do it. We have confidence on the pitch that we can beat them, whether it is Liverpool, City, PSG… against the big teams we show that we can go head-to-head and give them a game. The players know that, the manager knows that. We are just so close to that bit when you are winning trophies. But for me the sooner we get to that, the better. There is nothing bigger than winning the Premier League or the Champions League – that is what the dream is.
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