Why is Marcus Rashford getting a plaque?
Manchester United's Head of Academy, Nicky Butt, says Marcus Rashford’s latest achievement in the first team deserves recognition at the Aon Training Complex.
The 21-year-old striker made his 100th Premier League appearance when he started last Sunday’s 1-0 victory at Leicester City, and he duly marked the occasion when he scored a winner in the first half.
Only Ryan Giggs has reached the same three-figure landmark at a younger age in the Premier League for United and only by 21 days, although the Welshman did have some outings in the competition's previous guise, the old Division One.
There are plans to honour Rashford's first ton of games at the Academy building, which already has graphics of Marcus and other homegrown talents adorning the corridors.
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“It’s massive for anybody to go and make that many appearances for United,” Butt told us.
“Being an Academy lad, we’ll make a fuss of it and put a little plaque over there in the Academy building. We need to do it as it’s very important that we celebrate these boys doing things like this for our own club.
"In my opinion, it’s the biggest club in the world so for a player to be able to do that, from seven years old to play 100 games, is something we should be shouting from the rooftops. We are too humble.
"We are a humble club and we don’t speak about it too much, when we should speak about our kids playing that many times for the club. Equally, we should be really celebrating the lads who go elsewhere and make careers.
"There are only a few players who make it at this club, obviously, but there are others who still go on to have great careers. I was recently watching our Under-18s play and Danny Simpson was there watching too. He didn’t quite make it here at the level but went on to have a career. So we’ve also got to celebrate those lads as well.”
Rashford was pleased to reach the landmark at the King Power Stadium last weekend, coming on the back of reaching 150 appearances in all competitions, even if there is little time for him to reflect on the achievement.
“I think it’s definitely a proud moment,” he told MUTV.” I actually didn’t know it was coming so soon and was around the corner. It’s definitely something my family are proud of and I’m sure a lot of the staff here are proud of it too.”
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