Wayne Rooney Challenges Marcus Rashford to Rediscover Hunger for Manchester United

Wayne Rooney believes only one man can take his Manchester United goals record – Marcus Rashford – but says the forward must rediscover his hunger and repair his bond with the club.

Rooney, United’s all-time leading scorer with 253 goals, used his new podcast, Stick to United, to issue a blunt challenge to Rashford as the 28-year-old prepares for what feels like a second chance at Old Trafford.

Rooney’s challenge: talent is not the issue

"It’s just such a strange one with Marcus because I think we know he’s got the ability. I think he’s shown that," Rooney said.

The question, in his eyes, lies elsewhere.

"For me, has he got the hunger, does he want to play for Manchester United?"

Rashford is back in the fold after Barcelona declined to turn last season’s loan into a permanent move. He has been involved in Michael Carrick’s pre-season plans, yet his future once looked destined to be away from Old Trafford, with a loan spell at Aston Villa in 2025 part of that drift.

Rooney made it clear: talent alone will not carry Rashford to the level his potential once promised.

‘Build a relationship with the fans’

Rooney drew on his own experience of turbulence at United, recalling his 2010 request to leave, to outline what Rashford must do now.

"Now, if he wants to play for Manchester United, I think the first thing he has to do – I’ve been there in 2010 when I asked to leave the football club – he has to build a relationship with the fans."

For Rooney, that starts with the basics.

"And the easiest way to do that is to work hard and body language. I think Marcus’ body language isn’t great, and so it might be something he has to work on. He might have to work with someone to make his body language look better."

The criticism did not stop there.

"I think his work rate has to improve, but if he wants to be at the football club, he just needs to knuckle down. You do it, and he’s a young lad. He’s from Manchester. He’s the one player who can go and get my goalscoring record."

From Nou Camp and Villa Park back to Old Trafford

Rashford’s United story stalled badly last season. He has not played for the club since December 2024, having fallen out of favour under then-manager Ruben Amorim before heading out on loan to Aston Villa and Barcelona.

Rooney made it clear where he wants to see the forward’s resurgence.

"I don’t want to see Marcus Rashford doing well at Aston Villa or doing well at Barcelona," he said. "I want to see him doing well at Manchester United and scoring goals for Manchester United."

The route back, in Rooney’s view, is brutally simple.

"But that means he has to he has to just get his head down, work his socks off, and then be more positive."

Chasing history – if he wants it

Rashford currently sits 15th on United’s all-time scoring list with 138 goals. The numbers say he is within striking distance of something historic. Rooney’s message says the rest is down to mentality.

"But it’s on him. If he’s back playing for Manchester United, I think he has to have a real close look at who’s round him.

"Only he can say who the people are around him who he really trusts. Because there’s not many people you trust really. It’d be a small amount of people, keep them close to him, go into training, work hard, get himself right. If he does that, he’ll be fine."

The path is there: a hometown forward, a fractured relationship, a record within reach. Now the question hangs over Old Trafford – does Marcus Rashford truly want to chase down Wayne Rooney?