Rashford: That was the best night of my life

The Manchester United attacker, who has played in three cup finals for the Reds, scored a Champions League hat-trick, represented his country at a World Cup and netted decisive goals against Liverpool and Manchester City, said it’s his maiden match in senior football that bring back the fondest memories.

Marcus was famously drafted in at the last minute for our Europa League last-32 encounter with Midtjylland in 2016, and went on to score two at Old Trafford in a 5-1 victory.

“That was probably the best night of my life,” our no.10 tells podcast co-hosts Helen Evans, Sam Homewood and David May. 

“When I was walking out I saw so many people that I knew in the crowd. It was the weirdest experience ever. I just saw so many faces that I recognised.

“I just sort of lost myself on the pitch that day,” he continued. “United always say, when you’re growing up, to express yourself on the pitch. They’re the ones that taught me that and I think that’s why we have so many youngsters come through because, without knowing it, they’re ready to play. That’s credit to United and the system.”

Rashford was a relatively unknown quantity outside of the club when he made his first-team debut nearly five years ago.

The United hero was originally named among the substitutes for that tie with Midtjylland, but a spate of attacking injuries led to Marcus being handed a last-minute call up to the starting XI.

“Like five minutes before,” the striker responds, when asked when he found out that he was starting. “Because Anthony [Martial] was warming up and he got injured, but I didn’t know he’d got injured because the starters warm up over there and we [the substitutes] warm up over there [in a different section].

“I didn’t actually see him go down the tunnel. It might have been Albert [Stuivenberg], he just threw me a bib and I started warming up in the final bit of possession. Then we were inside and that was it and I was just walking out the tunnel. Everything happened so quick.”

That lack of preparation time may actually have suited Marcus, as he goes on to explain.

“No, I wasn’t nervous,” admits the man from Wythenshawe. “I was nervous against… I was on the bench against Watford away. This was before Christmas [2015], but I was playing with an injury that year.

“When I was on the bench that day, I remember speaking to my brother the day before and saying: “I don’t feel ready to play.” Mentally I wasn’t in the right place to play.

“Then it’s the whole thing like it’s your debut and you want to do well; you don’t want to let anyone down. These things were going through my mind.

“Somehow [Louis] van Gaal picked up on it and someone got injured at the start of the game and he never brought me on. In my eyes, that was a blessing in disguise because I wasn’t ready to play with the first team.

“I was on my way to being ready and had trained with them a few times, but in terms of being able to play with them, I didn’t feel like I belonged yet. But then the difference between then and when I played was a million miles apart.

“Mentally I felt like I belonged there and I wanted to show people I belonged there. That was just my mindset going into the game."