Marcus Rashford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marcus Rashford MBE
Rashford with England in 2023
Born	Marcus Rashford (1997-10-31) 31 October 1997 (age 27) Manchester, England
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Association football career Position(s) Forward Team information Current team Manchester United Youth career 2003–2005 Fletcher Moss Rangers 2005–2015 Manchester United Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) 2015– Manchester United 287 (87) 2025 → Aston Villa (loan) 10 (2) International career‡ 2012 England U16 2 (0) 2014 England U18 2 (0) 2016 England U20 2 (0) 2016 England U21 1 (3) 2016– England 62 (17) Medal record Men's football Representing  England UEFA European Championship Runner-up 2020 UEFA Nations League Third 2019 *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:06, 22 April 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:10, 24 March 2025 (UTC)

Marcus Rashford (born 31 October 1997) is an English professional footballer. He plays as a forward for Manchester United and the England national team. He is currently on loan at Aston Villa.

Rashford joined Manchester United's youth system at age seven. He made a huge impact in February 2016, scoring two goals in his first senior game. He also scored in his first European and Premier League matches. With Manchester United, he has won two FA Cups, two EFL Cups, the FA Community Shield, and the UEFA Europa League.

He scored in his first game for England in May 2016. This made him the youngest English player to score in his first senior international match. He has played in two UEFA European Championships and two FIFA World Cups for England.

Beyond football, Rashford is known for his work as an activist. He campaigns against racism, homelessness, and child hunger in the UK. Many organizations have recognized his efforts.

Early Life and Football Beginnings

Marcus Rashford was born on 31 October 1997 in Manchester, England. He grew up in different areas of the city. His family comes from Jamaica and Saint Kitts. His mother, Melanie Maynard, was a single parent who worked hard to support her five children. Sometimes, she even skipped meals to make sure her children had enough food.

Rashford was a childhood fan of Manchester United. He started playing football at age five for Fletcher Moss Rangers. He even began as a goalkeeper! Scouts quickly noticed his talent.

At age seven, he joined Manchester United's academy. He chose United over other big clubs like Everton and Liverpool. His older brothers helped him make this decision. Youth coaches saw his potential early on. They helped him get to training when his family had difficulty. At 11, he became the youngest player chosen for a special Manchester United scholarship program. He trained with older players like Paul Pogba, which helped him improve quickly.

Club Career Highlights

Manchester United Debut Season

Rashford warming up for Manchester United in 2016

In February 2016, Marcus Rashford got his big chance. Many players were injured, so he was picked to play against Midtjylland in the UEFA Europa League. He scored two goals in a 5–1 win. This made him United's youngest scorer in a European competition.

Just three days later, he played his first Premier League game against Arsenal. He scored two more goals and helped set up another in a 3–2 victory. His manager, Louis van Gaal, praised his "fantastic" performance.

Rashford continued to impress. He scored the only goal in the Manchester derby against Manchester City. This made him the youngest scorer in that rivalry in the Premier League era. He also scored a great goal in the FA Cup against West Ham. He helped United win the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace. This was his first major trophy. He finished the season with 8 goals in 18 games.

Becoming a Key Player

Rashford lining up for Manchester United in 2016

For the 2016–17 season, Rashford was given the number 19 shirt. He often played alongside star striker Zlatan Ibrahimović, who called Rashford a "huge talent." Rashford scored important goals throughout the season. He helped United win the EFL Cup final against Southampton. He also played a key role in the Europa League final win against Ajax. This earned him his first European trophy. He played 53 games that season, more than any other United player.

In the 2017–18 season, Rashford continued to score. He scored on his UEFA Champions League debut against Basel. This meant he had scored on his debut in six different competitions! He scored both goals in a big 2–1 win over rivals Liverpool in March 2018.

Before the 2018–19 season, Rashford was given the famous number 10 shirt. This number had been worn by legends like Wayne Rooney and David Beckham. He scored many important goals that season. He scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur. He also scored a penalty in a thrilling 3–1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. This sent United into the quarter-finals.

Injuries and Continued Development

Rashford warming up for Manchester United in 2017

In July 2019, Rashford signed a new contract with Manchester United. He started the season strongly, scoring two goals against Chelsea. He had his best goalscoring run, with 16 goals in 20 games. However, he suffered a back injury in January 2020. The season was then paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When football returned, Rashford was fit to play. He finished the season with 17 league goals.

In the 2020–21 season, Rashford scored his first hat-trick for United against RB Leipzig. He became only the second United player to score a hat-trick as a substitute. He also became the third youngest United player to score 50 Premier League goals. Despite playing with shoulder, back, and foot injuries, he continued to play. After UEFA Euro 2020, he had surgery on his shoulder. This kept him out until October 2021.

Recent Seasons and Loan Move

Rashford after a Manchester United match in 2022

After returning from injury in the 2021–22 season, Rashford scored a last-minute winner against West Ham. This made him the player with the most last-minute winners in Premier League history.

The 2022–23 season saw Rashford return to top form. He scored his 100th United goal in October 2022. He became the first player since Wayne Rooney to reach this milestone for the club. He helped United win the 2023 EFL Cup final against Newcastle United. He scored his 30th goal of the season in May, a milestone not reached by a United player since Robin van Persie in 2013. Fans and players voted him Manchester United's Player of the Year.

In July 2023, Rashford signed a new contract with United. However, the 2023–24 season was more challenging. He received a red card in a Champions League game. He also faced disciplinary issues, including being late for a team meeting. Despite this, he won his second FA Cup with United in May 2024.

In December 2024, Rashford was left out of some United matches. His manager, Ruben Amorim, said he wanted players who gave their maximum every day. In February 2025, Rashford joined Aston Villa on loan for the rest of the 2024–25 season. He scored his first two goals for Villa in the FA Cup in March. He also scored his first league goal for them in April. In May 2025, Manchester United put Rashford on their transfer list.

International Career

Youth and Senior Debut

Rashford played for England's under-16 team in 2012. He later played for the under-20 team. In August 2016, he was called up to the England under-21 team. He scored a hat-trick in a 6–1 win against Norway in his only game for that team.

His strong performances for Manchester United led to calls for him to play for the senior England team. In May 2016, he was named in England's squad for UEFA Euro 2016. He made his England debut on 27 May 2016 against Australia. He scored after just three minutes, becoming the youngest Englishman to score on his international debut. At Euro 2016, he became England's youngest player ever at a European Championship.

World Cups and European Championships

Rashford playing for England at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Rashford was part of England's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He scored in a penalty shoot-out against Colombia, helping England reach the quarter-finals. England finished fourth in the tournament.

Rashford playing for England at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

He continued to score for England in the UEFA Nations League and Euro 2020 qualifiers. In June 2021, he captained England for the first time. He scored a penalty in a 1–0 win against Romania.

Rashford was in the squad for UEFA Euro 2020. In the final against Italy, he came on as a substitute. He took a penalty in the shoot-out, but it hit the post. Italy won the tournament. After the match, Rashford received racist messages online. A mural of him in Manchester was also vandalized. However, people quickly covered the mural with messages of support.

Rashford playing for England at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

After recovering from shoulder surgery, Rashford was named in England's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In England's first game, a 6–2 win over Iran, he scored within a minute of coming on. This was one of the fastest goals by a substitute in World Cup history. In the final group game against Wales, he scored two goals in a 3–0 win. His second goal was England's 100th goal in all World Cups. He was left out of the preliminary England squad for UEFA Euro 2024.

Player Profile

Style of Play

Marcus Rashford can play as a centre forward or a winger, usually on the left side. He prefers playing on the left. This allows him to cut inside and shoot with his strong right foot. He also likes to drop back to get the ball and start attacks. He learned this when he played as a central midfielder as a child.

His youth coaches helped him become a goalscorer. They taught him how to make runs at the right time. Rashford is a fast and direct player. He constantly challenges defenders with his movement. His former manager, José Mourinho, said he is "not a target man, he is a man of movement." England manager Gareth Southgate also said he is better as a "wide raider" coming in from the wing.

Rashford is known for his dribbling and "ruthless" finishing. His finishing has been compared to former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. He also takes penalties and free kicks for United. He sometimes uses the "knuckleball" technique, made famous by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Influences and Recognition

Rashford's success comes from his strong drive and ambition. He is seen as a role model for younger players. He says he learned focus and dedication from watching Robin van Persie. He also looked up to former academy players like David Beckham. His coaches have described him as professional and a leader, even at a young age.

He has been called a "big game player" because he performs well in important matches. He is also praised for playing through injuries. His first senior manager, Louis van Gaal, said Rashford handles criticism very well.

People compare Rashford to Thierry Henry because of his playing style and speed. His former manager, Erik ten Hag, compared him to Kylian Mbappé. Rashford grew up wanting to play like Brazilian striker Ronaldo. He also admired Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney at Manchester United. He believes Rooney's professionalism helped him mature. Some even think he could break Rooney's goalscoring record for the club.

After scoring, Rashford often points to his temple. This symbolizes focus and mental strength. This celebration became very popular in the 2022-23 season.

Charity and Activism

Fighting Child Food Poverty

In October 2019, Rashford started the In the Box campaign. He worked with Selfridges to give homeless people essential items for Christmas. He and his mother personally delivered boxes to shelters.

In March 2020, during the UK's COVID-19 lockdown, Rashford partnered with FareShare. This charity helps fight poverty and food waste. He helped deliver meals to children who no longer received free school meals. He initially aimed to help 400,000 children. The campaign quickly raised over £20 million to provide food nationwide. By July, they had provided 4 million meals.

On 15 June, Rashford wrote an open letter to the UK government. He asked them to end child poverty. The next day, the government changed its policy. They extended free school meals for children during the summer holidays. Rashford was "proud" of this achievement. His actions were called a "political masterclass."

In September, he created the Child Food Poverty Task Force. This group works with food shops, charities, and delivery companies. In October, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). He then started a petition to end child food poverty. It asked for more free school meals and help during holidays. The petition quickly gained over 1 million signatures.

When the government voted against extending free school meals, Rashford used his Twitter account. He encouraged cafés and businesses to offer free meals. Many businesses and councils across the country joined his campaign. FareShare even named a new warehouse Melanie Maynard House, after Rashford's mother.

In November 2020, the government announced nearly £400 million in funding for poor families. Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson also helped Rashford's Christmas fundraising appeal.

In January 2021, Rashford highlighted poor food packages given to families. This led to a review by the government. The Prime Minister even said Rashford was more effective than the actual political opposition. In April 2021, Rashford and chef Tom Kerridge launched a series of simple recipes. These recipes help families cook cheap meals at home.

Literacy Campaign

For World Book Day in 2020, Rashford supported a campaign to share a million stories. He also started learning sign language to judge a poetry competition for children with hearing impairments.

In November 2020, he partnered with Macmillan Publishers to launch a book club. This club helps vulnerable children experience the "escapism of reading." Rashford believes reading should not be a luxury. He released a motivational children's book called You Are A Champion. This book won Book of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2022. The book club aims to give away 50,000 books for free.

Personal Life

Marcus Rashford is Christian. He has spoken about his faith and how his mother taught him values and respect.

He enjoys playing on PlayStation and listening to rap and grime music. He also owns a Cane Corso guard dog. In 2023, Nike released a pair of signature Rashford football boots.

Career Statistics

Club

International

England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Rashford goal

List of international goals scored by Marcus Rashford

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	27 May 2016	Stadium of Light, Sunderland, England	1	Australia	1–0	2–1	Friendly
2	4 September 2017	Wembley Stadium, London, England	11	Slovakia	2–1	2–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
3	7 June 2018	Elland Road, Leeds, England	19	Costa Rica	1–0	2–0	Friendly
4	8 September 2018	Wembley Stadium, London, England	26	Spain	1–0	1–2	2018–19 UEFA Nations League A
5	11 September 2018	King Power Stadium, Leicester, England	27	Switzerland	1–0	1–0	Friendly
6	15 October 2018	Estadio Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain	29	Spain	2–0	3–2	2018–19 UEFA Nations League A
7	6 June 2019	Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, Guimarães, Portugal	32	Netherlands	1–0	1–3 (aet)	2019 UEFA Nations League Finals
8	14 October 2019	Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria	36	Bulgaria	1–0	6–0	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
9	14 November 2019	Wembley Stadium, London, England	37	Montenegro	4–0	7–0	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
10	17 November 2019	Fadil Vokrri Stadium, Pristina, Kosovo	38	Kosovo	3–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
11	11 October 2020	Wembley Stadium, London, England	39	Belgium	1–1	2–1	2020–21 UEFA Nations League A
12	6 June 2021	Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, England	41	Romania	1–0	1–0	Friendly
13	21 November 2022	Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar	47	Iran	5–1	6–2	2022 FIFA World Cup
14	29 November 2022	Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar	49	Wales	1–0	3–0	2022 FIFA World Cup
15					3–0
16	19 June 2023	Old Trafford, Manchester, England	53	Macedonia	3–0	7–0	UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
17	17 October 2023	Wembley Stadium, London, England	57	Italy	2–1	3–1	UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying

Honours

Manchester United

• FA Cup: 2015–16, 2023–24; runner-up: 2017–18, 2022–23
• EFL Cup: 2016–17, 2022–23
• FA Community Shield: 2016
• UEFA Europa League: 2016–17; runner-up: 2020–21

England

• UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2020
• UEFA Nations League third place: 2018–19

Individual

• Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year: 2015–16
• Premier League Player of the Month: January 2019, September 2022, January 2023, February 2023
• Premier League Goal of the Month: March 2024
• PFA Premier League Fans' Player of the Year: 2022–23
• PFA Premier League Fans' Player of the Month: December 2019, February 2023
• PFA Community Champion Award: 2019–20
• Premier League Academy Graduate of the Year Award: 2019–20
• UEFA Europa League Team of the Season: 2019–20, 2022–23
• UEFA Europa League top scorer: 2022–23
• Manchester United Goal of the Season: 2019–20 (vs. Chelsea, 30 October 2019)
• Manchester United Players' Player of the Year: 2022–23
• Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2022–23
• PFA Merit Award: 2020
• FIFA Foundation Award: 2020
• The Guardian Footballer of the Year: 2020
• FWA Tribute Award: 2020
• FIFPro Merit Award: 2020
• Time 100 Next: 2021
• Pat Tillman Award for Service: 2021

Orders and special awards

• Member of the Order of the British Empire: 2020
• Campaigner Of The Year in the 2020 GQ Men Of The Year
• Expert Panel Special Award in the 2020 BBC Sports Personality of the Year
• Lockdown Heroes (Special Recognition) in the 2020 FSA Awards
• Honorary Doctorate Degree from the University of Manchester, October 2021

Interesting Facts About Marcus Rashford

• Marcus's birthday is on Halloween.
• As a child, he watched tricks on soccer video games and copied them. Now he is a character in the video game series FIFA.
• His two brothers help him with his business decisions.
• He has beaten many soccer records.
• In 2016, Marcus became the youngest player to score in a European competition. He was 18.
• Marcus learned a bit of sign language. He did this when he was asked to be a judge in a poetry competition at a school for children with hearing loss.

Marcus Rashford Quotes

• "For me, sometimes it’s more important to perform well in training and know that I am improving rather than scoring in a game. It’s doing the hard work, day in, day out."
• "I learn something new every game. Every game is always different, no matter how you try and think about it beforehand."
• "Political affiliations aside, can we not all agree that no child should be going to bed hungry?"
• "These children matter… And as long as they don’t have a voice they will have mine."

See also

In Spanish: Marcus Rashford para niños