WHEN an 18 year old Marcus Rashford scored against Danish team Midtiylland with a 12 minute brace, in February of 2015 the footballing world was shook and the world appeared to be at the feet of the young lad from Wythenshawe.
Yet here we are 10 years later, where Rashford at 27 should be entering his prime, has just sealed a loan move to Aston Villa.
So what went wrong? There is a school of thought which will tell you that he is the only one to blame. That his laziness, carelessness and lack of commitment have all contributed to him not fulfilling his potential.
And whilst at times I’m sure even Rashford himself would admit his commitment has not been enough, it’s worth saying that the ten years in question have been tumultuous at United to say the least.
Louie Van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangick, Michael Carrick, Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim have all come and gone, yet Rahford has never quite been able to establish himself.
Thats not to say its all been bad…
Rashford has at times been on the precipice of greatness. Mourinho and Ten Hag’s first seasons are particular highlights, with virtually the whole of Solskjaer’s reign (barring the last few months) are some of the best of his career.
Not to doubt if you were to ask any United fans about their favourite post- Fergie moment , many would point to Rashford belting the ball into the back of the net from 12 yards to complete a famous comeback against PSG.
Not to mention in that time he picked up 2 FA cups, 2 League Cups and a Europa League trophy.
Although, in honesty if you were to reflect on Rashford’s decade as a red, many would be overcome with a sense of disappointment. He has ultimately become a symbol of inconsistency which has plagued United since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. in the eyes of many more-concerned with the events off the pitch.
For his sake more than any other, as he departs Manchester for Birmingham, let’s all hope he is a more successful ‘Villain’ than he was a ‘Red Devil ‘.
