Marcus Rashford feels being a Mancunian in the Manchester United team gives him an extra thrill and edge to perform for the fans.
The forward, who was born and raised in Wythenshawe, south Manchester, has been at the club since the age of seven and established himself as a key member of the first team since bursting onto the scene in 2016.
During an exclusive interview with Inside United, the club’s official monthly magazine, Rashford was asked if being a local lad in the squad gives him added satisfaction and an incentive when representing the community he grew up in on the pitch.
“I think it does,”
said the 20-year-old. “A lot of people have that dream, so you’re not only doing it for you; you’re doing it for a lot of people that you might not even know, but there are a lot of people who had the dream of playing for their local team when they were young.
“So I think you are playing not only for yourself and for the club, but for all the people that are living that dream through you.”
No United player has made more appearances under Jose Mourinho than Rashford, who has played in 97 matches as both a starter and a substitute since the manager began his reign in August 2016.
It’s a myth-busting statistic, brought to light by ManUtd.com last month, that Rashford didn’t know about himself but takes pride from.
“I wasn’t aware of it before I saw it and it’s something to be proud of,”
Marcus said. “But we always want more and we always want to show progression individually and as a team, so the numbers don’t really matter as much as the results do to me.”
Read the full exclusive interview with cover star Marcus Rashford in the latest edition of Inside United, out now.