It’s a shame: Wayne Rooney thought surprise United star would break his goalscoring record

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford was once tipped to become an Old Trafford legend, but his career has taken a surprising turn in the last two years. Fast, skilful and with a good eye for goal, the Englishman’s introduction to the Red Devils faithful was electric. Rashford rose steadily through the ranks at the Theatre of Dreams before earning his big break under former manager Louis van Gaal. He scored a brace in his debut for the English giants, capturing the imagination of fans worldwide. Here was their next icon in the making, a local boy with the potential to conquer the footballing world. Rashford came into his own during former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign, but he reached the peak of his powers under Erik ten Hag. After plundering 30 goals and 12 assists in 56 games in the 2022/23 campaign, the Englishman earned a lucrative new contract with United. However, he endured a prolonged dip in form thereafter, before the arrival of Ruben Amorim turned his career upside down. Struggles under Amorim and LaLiga redemption Rashford was a first-team regular for United when Ten Hag lost his job in October 2024. He initially retained his place under Amorim, even scoring the first goal of the Portuguese head coach’s tenure. However, things fell apart quickly before the end of the year, with Amorim even making his dissent public. Rashford subsequently became a peripheral figure at Old Trafford, before joining Aston Villa on loan in January 2025. Despite a decent spell at Villa Park, the Englishman found himself surplus to requirements under Amorim last summer and eventually moved to Barcelona on a season-long loan. The 28 year old was a revelation with the LaLiga giants last season, registering 14 goals and 14 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions. The Catalans have a €30 million option to tie him down to a permanent deal, although recent reports suggest they are looking for a cheaper arrangement. Nevertheless, Rashford is not short of suitors and will have several destinations to choose from if a deal to Camp Nou does not materialise. All signs point to the fact that the former academy graduate, who has scored 138 goals and set up 79 more in 426 appearances for the Red Devils, has already played his last game for the club. United legend Wayne Rooney has now provided his opinion on the matter. Marcus Rashford: Premier League career stats Appearances (Sub)297 (76) Goals89 Assists42 Attack xG80.93 xA26.25 Touches in the Opposition Box1,320 Penalties (Scored)11 (9) Hit Woodwork18 Free Kicks (Scored)50 (52) Crosses (Completed %)314 (15%) Possession Passes (Completed %)6,416 (79%) Long Passes (Completed %)318 (58%) Corners Taken117 Physical Minutes Played20,116 Dribbles (Completed %)925 (46%) Duels Won994 Aerial Duels Won152 Defence Total Tackles153 Interceptions64 Blocks12 Discipline Red Cards1 Yellow Cards24 Fouls164 Offsides129 Own Goals0 Source: Premier League website. Rooney’s record appears safe for now Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney revealed that he had expected Rashford to break his goalscoring record for United. He said: “”I think it’s a shame that he left Manchester United – he’s a Manchester lad. He’s the one player who’s got a chance to get my record there.” “Records are there for someone to break and for a Manchester lad to do it, I think would be great. But over the last few years, he hasn’t been present there. We know what a good player he is, so he probably needed that change. It’s a shame to see it go the way it has because I’d still love him there.” Rooney spent 13 seasons at the Theatre of Dreams and is the Red Devils’ record goalscorer. He finished his stint with the club with 253 goals and 143 assists in 559 games. Final Thoughts In a perfect world, Rashford would have been closing in on Rooney’s goalscoring record by now, but the reality has proved very different. The Englishman’s departure would be recorded as pure profit on the club’s accounts, so it is in the best interests of all parties that he brings his Old Trafford career to a permanent end this summer. Featured image Denis Doyle via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.