There was a time where Marcus Rashford’s Manchester United career appeared to be over. The striker who burst onto the scene in such explosive fashion back in 2016 had suddenly lost his magic touch. The goals dried up, his confidence ebbed, and suddenly it was unclear where Rashford’s future really lay.
Now, with brighter times ahead for Manchester United under Erik ten Hag after several years of injuries and inconsistency, Rashford has rediscovered his form. His 16 goals so far in the 2022-23 Premier League campaign is more than the previous two seasons combined. His total of 29 goals in all competitions this season is his best-ever return in a Manchester United shirt by some distance.
The question is, can Rashford sustain this excellence moving forward, or is this just a purple patch for a player who might never reach the heights once expected of him? Let’s chart the most recent few years of Rashford’s career and analyse whether he has what it takes to be Manchester United’s main man up front for years to come.
A loss of confidence
The 2019-20 saw Rashford deliver what at the time was his most successful season at the club. 22 goals in all competition was a solid return, as United finished third in the league. He managed 21 goals in the following campaign – the behind-closed-doors 2020-21 season — but even then there were concerns beginning to appear. His tally of 11 Premier League goals in 37 appearances hardly managed to thrill supporters.
Then came the 2021-22 season, where Rashford fell of a cliff as far as his goalscoring return was concerned. He managed just five goals in all competitions, leading many to suggest that his future lay somewhere other than Old Trafford. There were even rumours that Jurgen Klopp was eager to bring him to Liverpool to try and breathe new life into a striker who had lost all confidence.
A return to form
The beginning of the current season felt like make or break for Rashford. He simply had to deliver or Manchester United would need to consider whether he had a future at the club. 29 goals later, we have an answer. Rashford has been superb, rediscovering that deadly finishing ability to help United to a strong position in the top 4 odds in the Premier League.
He also enjoyed a solid World Cup for England, scoring twice in Qatar to help the Three Lions reach the quarter-finals. After a spell of misery, Rashford is bouncing once again.
A bright future?
It will be interesting to see whether he can continue that form moving forward. Many will point to the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United as one reason for Rashford’s renewed confidence in front of goal, and with Ten Hag building a team capable of competing in all competitions, there’s no reason why Rashford can’t continue to be that attacking figurehead for the club.
At 25 years of age, you could argue that he still hasn’t reached the peak years of his career. It could well be that we are yet to see the best of Marcus Rashford, and if this season is anything to go by, there are exciting times ahead for the local lad living his dream at Manchester United.
