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Two lovely finishes against FC Midtjylland midweek and both from the heart of the penalty box showcased a lot more than just Marcus Rashford's goalscoring prowess. His confidence when on the ball was visibly high and he looked like he'd been in the first team for a while linking with Memphis Depay, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard with ease. Against Arsenal in the Premier League, it was the same. Ander Herrera, Mata, Lingard and Depay – all vastly more experienced – looked to supply the ball to Rashford knowing he had a chance to find the back of the net. His first finish was an exquisite strike from a loose ball and the second was an immaculate header from a delightful cross.96 hours ago, nobody had heard of him. Now, he's sunk FC Midtjylland and Arsenal. Here are few facts about Marcus Rashford you ought to know:
#1 He\'s as Manchester as it can get
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Born and brought up in Manchester, Marcus Rashford is more than a player of the club; he's a fan. He joined and played for Fletcher Moss Junior club who've produced recent stars like Wes Brown, Danny Welbeck, Ravel Morrison and recent graduates Tyler Blackett and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson.
Rashford has been a part of multiple youth level teams impressing and performing consistently in all of them. A regular goal-scorer, Rashford is usually one of the first names on the team sheet. Rashford has also represented England in multiple youth level competitions.
#2 Loyal to Manchester United
Marcus Rashford's performances for the Manchester United youth got a lot of attention from the sporting world with cross-city rivals Manchester City showing serious interest in signing the youngster. However, Rashford turned the offer down and instead focused on trying all he can to break into the senior squad.
Rashford put in such incredible performances that he was given the captain's armband by Nicky Butt for the UEFA Youth League tournament. He repaid his coach's faith with two excellent goals against PSV Eindhoven and one against Wolfsburg.
When promoted to the U21s, he scored in Manchester United's 6-1 walloping of Leicester City after coming on in the second half. Rashford has trained with the United first team on plenty of occasions given the amount of injuries Louis van Gaal has endured this season.
#3 Rated very highly by his coaches
Nicky Butt and former United U18 coach, Paul McGuinness, were both extremely impressed Rashford singling him out often in praise. The 18-year old has played under both the coaches across youth levels and promises to be one for the future.
"Marcus is explosive, he’s a very talented boy but a good, hard worker as well," said Nicky Butt. "He’s a good lad to have in the side because he puts a shift in for the team. He’s explosive and he scores goals."
After Rashford's incredible performance against PSV in the UEFA Youth League, Butt said, "We came out and played the football we felt was right for us and they could not handle Marcus’s pace up front, so we knew it was not a passing game for us but more getting behind them effectively. We did that and won 3-0 so I was really pleased with the second half."
Former coach, Paul McGuiness, was also a huge fan of Rashford. "One we saw starting to emerge as he grew into his body more was Marcus Rashford," McGuinness said. "He put some exciting parts of games together and we saw some exciting things. He's emerging and starting to do more."
#4 Somewhere between a No. 9 and No. 10
Given how young Marcus Rashford is, his clear and potent position on the field is yet to be finalised. He's operated across the front three positions throughout his youth but has often caught the attention of scouts and his coaches when he's played as a striker or just behind as a No. 9.
His development in the past 18 months has been staggering and has now set a benchmark for the kind of performances he can put in. A big threat in set pieces, Rashford has the knack of getting into the right place at the right time.
Couple his adaptability with this burst of pace and a penchant for scoring worldlies and you have yourself a top young performer you ought to keep an eye on. His close control – even in United's 5-1 dismantling of FC Midtjylland and their 3-2 win over Arsenal – is exceptional linking up well with technical players around him to create space.
With all these right ingredients, Rashford has what it takes to succeed albeit he keeps his head down and takes it one step at a time.
#5 Had a \'Super September\'
September 2015 was a huge month for Marcus Rashford. Having had fixtures in the youth league, the UEFA Youth League and more, Rashford was in the thick of the action for the United youngsters under the guidance of Paul McGuiness and Nicky Butt. Having already inherited the captain's armband for the latter tournament, Rashford opened up.
United played a total of six fixtures in the month of September and Rashford scored in all of them! With a late penalty against Wolfsburg in the UEFA Youth League towards the end of the month, Rashford had made it 8 goals in the month!
This kind of talent is rare and Manchester United should do all they can to hone him and develop him into a top-class forward.
