Wayne Rooney believes Marcus Rashford can break Manchester United’s long-standing record.
Wayne Rooney has openly encouraged Marcus Rashford to break his long-standing goal record at Manchester United, as long as the 28-year-old can “knuckle down” and improve his body language.
Rooney currently holds the record with 253 goals in 559 games for the Red Devils, along with 143 assists, according to Transfermarkt. Until last season, he also held the record for most Premier League goals for one club, until Mohamed Salah took that title for Liverpool.
Rashford’s future at Manchester United is still unsure after finishing loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona. So far, he has 138 goals in 426 games for United, which is 115 shy of Rooney’s tally but with almost 150 fewer matches played.
Last Saturday, Harry Maguire showed support for Rashford, hoping the striker stays at Old Trafford. Now, Rooney has also publicly backed the England star to break his record, as long as Rashford can settle things at United and focus on his game.
Talking on Disney+’s ‘Stick to United’ show, Rooney said he wants Rashford to succeed at Manchester United, not elsewhere. “If he wants to be at the club, he just has to knuckle down,” Rooney said. “He’s the one who could beat my goal record! I don’t want to see him doing well at Aston Villa or Barcelona. I want to see him scoring goals for Man United. But that means he needs to work hard, stay positive, and play with a smile.”
During his loan at Barcelona, Rashford had a successful spell with 25 goal contributions (14 goals and 11 assists), helping the team win La Liga. While some thought Barcelona might keep him, Rashford returned to Manchester United with his future still unclear.
Recently, when former manager Ruben Amorim visited Old Trafford with AC Milan, Rashford was reportedly one of the players who ignored him, adding to questions about his attitude.
Rooney shared what he hopes to see from Rashford going forward—better body language, attitude, and determination. “It’s a tricky situation with Marcus. We know he’s talented, but does he have the hunger? Does he want to play for Manchester United?” Rooney said.
He added, “I’ve been there too. Back in 2010, I asked to leave but stayed. You have to rebuild the fans’ trust by working hard and showing positive body language. You can have a bad game or make mistakes, but if fans see you giving your all, they’ll support you.”
Rooney finished, “Even when Marcus came on against Milan, his body language wasn’t great. He might need help to improve how he shows his attitude on the pitch.”