Marcus Rashford Ready for New Chapter at Manchester United

Harry Maguire believes Marcus Rashford is ready to write a new chapter at Manchester United – and a big one.

Rashford made his first Premier League start for the club in 21 months in the 5-2 win over Ipswich at Old Trafford, and looked like the old danger again, one of United’s most persistent attacking threats in a chaotic, open game.

Not long ago, his United story looked close to over. A fall-out with former manager Ruben Amorim pushed him out of the picture, then came loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona. The Catalan club had the option to keep him permanently for £26m and chose not to trigger it. That decision has left the door wide open at Old Trafford.

With the transfer window shutting on Tuesday night, that door now looks like staying open. Rashford is set to remain at his boyhood club.

“He's a great talent. He's always a threat,” said Maguire, speaking with the assurance of someone who has lived through his own Old Trafford storms. “If Marcus wants to be here, wants to work, wants to improve and help the team, of course we're willing to have him in the team.

“He could still do a lot more and I think he'll say he can do more but if we keep him fit, we keep him happy, he keeps driven and hungry, he's a great asset to have.”

Rashford has carried heavy baggage into this season. The criticism did not start with Michael Carrick’s tenure; it stretches back through Erik ten Hag’s time in charge. His work-rate has been attacked, his commitment doubted, even his love for the game questioned.

Time away from Old Trafford has changed a few things. Working under Unai Emery at Aston Villa and Hansi Flick at Barcelona seems to have sharpened him, on and off the ball. Back at United, he now has a head coach in Carrick who knows him well from their previous years together at the club.

“You've got to remember Marcus has had a wonderful career for this club,” Maguire reminded. “But when you play at this club for numerous years, there's going to be bad seasons, and when the bad seasons come everyone piles on you. That's part and parcel of playing for this club.

“As a club, we haven't been perfect from top to bottom. We haven't been challenging at the top end. So, Marcus has been part of a rough ride for Manchester United.

“When that happens, players get dug out. I've been through it.”

Maguire knows the script. He lost his place, then the captaincy, under Ten Hag and looked certain to leave at one stage. He stayed, fought, and has worked his way back into the picture. That experience shapes how he views Rashford’s return.

“He's come back in, really fit and sharp and we're excited to have him,” the defender added.

Carrick has already described Rashford as feeling like a new signing. The same manager has form for reviving careers. Kobbie Mainoo, repeatedly overlooked by Amorim, has been transformed into a key midfielder under Carrick’s watch. Now, the challenge is to lift Mainoo again after another blow – being taken to the World Cup by England boss Thomas Tuchel and not playing a single minute.

Against Ipswich, Mainoo started his first game of the season and, after United fell behind, slowly took control of his part of the pitch. His influence grew as the team responded and turned the match around.

“I thought he was brilliant,” said Maguire. “To say he hasn't had many minutes in pre-season, he was magnificent.

“His work without the ball has improved so much since Michael's been in. He's becoming a real monster in there, wins a lot of second balls and a lot of duels.

“The thing is he's so young. If we want him to play for this club for another 10 years, there's going to be times where he's going to go through a patch like I spoke about with Rashy and myself.

“But that's part and parcel. He's really level-headed, really composed and has great belief in his ability.

“He's going to be a magnificent player for this club for many years.”

United’s past few seasons have been defined by turbulence, false dawns and fractured relationships. Now, with Carrick backing Rashford like a new arrival and Mainoo emerging as a “monster” in midfield, the question is no longer whether these players belong at Old Trafford.

It’s how far they can drag the club back towards where it believes it should be.