Rashford reveals what it is like to come through the system at Man Utd

Oli Fisher

Marcus Rashford has lifted the lid on the effect that playing for Manchester United has had on his development to this point.

The 20-year-old has been in the United setup for 13 years and has already amassed 27 caps for England at international level.

Rashford was handed his debut by Louis van Gaal in a Europa League game against FC Midtjylland back in 2016, capping his journey through the system.

“I remember at first there were 40 or 45 of us and I’d say the real step up was when we got to maybe 10 or 11 [years old] and that number dropped down to about 20 and it started to get a bit more serious,” he tells Goal.

“Around that age, there were players coming from all over the world, so it got a bit more difficult.

“From the age of about 11 or 12, training with them more regularly was a massive part of my development and the other kids’ development as well.

“Training with your own age, there’s a certain amount that you can learn. But when you have the chance to train with older players, the level of learning, it goes up.

“You’re learning the same thing as what 18 and 19-year-olds are learning. So that was massive, a big learning curve for us all.”

Rashford also revealed what it was like to be part of a World Cup campaign which captured the imaginations of English fans.

“I think the timing was very good,” he says. “I think we needed something big to give the country some hope that we can win something in the near future.

“We didn’t get all the way in the tournament, but we definitely planted that seed where people can see that we’re growing and what we’re aspiring to be.

“The biggest thing is with the fans. I think it’s been a journey that none of us will forget for both players and fans that were watching all over the country. Back home was crazy.”

 

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