UTD Podcast with Rashford and Scholes

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and social distancing, the two Reds recorded their very special podcast via a video conference with hosts, David May, Helen Evans and Sam Homewood. 

The subject of Rashford’s sensational goalscoring form this season, and what might be his best position going forward, are topics that feature heavily in the conversation, with Scholes recalling when he first analysed the Manchester lad’s attributes as a highly-rated Academy prospect.

“I always remember watching him, mainly in the reserve team, and he was an out and out centre-forward,” says Scholes in our next UTD Podcast, which will be released on Monday night. “Sometimes I would go to games and just watch him, and not really watch where the ball was. I’d look for his movement - is he clever enough to have that link with a midfield player? I think he has that. 

“I was really excited when he first got into the team, a little bit luckily at first - I think there was an injury to someone. But ever since he has got into the team, he has shown the talent he has got as a centre-forward or a player wide on the left.

“I always remember seeing him as a kid and I thought his intelligence and movement was as a centre-forward. He looked like an out-and-out number nine, but now when you see him in games, he seems to enjoy it more from the left-hand side.” 

Rashford - who has scored 19 goals this season, his best tally at United so far - admits he is enjoying his current role in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, often changing positions with Anthony Martial.

“A lot of it depends on the players that you are playing with,” says Marcus. “When you are on the left, you can create a lot more things on your own, giving that little bit more to the team. Whereas when you are playing up front, sometimes you are isolated and need someone in midfield who can find passes for 90 minutes of a game, so you can disappear in games sometimes as a number nine.

“When I transitioned to a number nine when I was younger, that’s the bit that I struggled with as I was always someone who wanted to express myself on the ball. When I started playing number nine, I realised that you don’t see the ball as often as you do in other positions but when you do see the ball, it’s an opportunity to score goals. That’s what I loved about being a number nine and that’s what I still love about it. But right now I’m enjoying having the freedom to mix between the two and I think it suits us well at the moment as Anthony likes to drift to the left and drop deep as well.

“To be honest, it does feel natural to be playing in the position that I’m playing now - I’m in the middle between the left and centre-forward and it’s definitely positive.”

Scholes, of course, played with some of the most dangerous strikers in United history and the ‘Ginger Genius’ reveals which of them he considers the best.  

“I played number 10 with Ruud van Nistelrooy for a season and I loved it,” says Paul. “He’s just a ruthless, ruthless goalscorer. He just lived for scoring goals. Whenever he did score or didn’t score, the first thing he would do when we got on the team bus after the game was see if Thierry Henry scored.  If Thierry Henry had scored he wouldn’t talk to anybody for the full trip home because he was so engrossed in being the leading goalscorer, not just at United but in the league, in the world, everywhere. 

“I loved the way he finished as well. Look, I played with some unbelievable centre-forwards. You are thinking Cole, Yorke, Sheringham, Solskjaer. There are loads. Van Persie I played with as well.  There are some unbelievable goalscorers. But, to me, Ruud was the best, he was the best finisher.” 

Our next episode of UTD Podcast will be available to stream on Deezer and your favourite podcast services from Monday evening UK time. Visit ManUtd.com/podcast to check out our previous editions.