“I don’t need” – Marcus Rashford once refused to take a picture with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo
The world may have known Marcus Rashford playing for Manchester United on the day he scored two goals against Midtjylland in 2016. But for Rashford himself, he knew he was going to play in The Red Devils outfit since the academy day.
The Manchester-born is a product of United’s youth system, joining the academy in 2004 amid interest from Liverpool and Everton. In his latest Player’s Tribune publication, Rashford said it had always been his dream to play for United.
One day, two first team players, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, came to visit the academy. Rashford was ‘just looking at them in awe’ as everyone was taking their turn to take pictures with those superstars.
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Marcus Rashford had the confidence to play for Man united
Taking pictures with idols is something that every fan around the world does when seeing their favorite figure. But that is not the case with Rashford who decided to take an unpopular move.
“I remember my brother saying ‘go take a picture with Wazza, bro! What are you doing???,’ he wrote. I said, ‘I don’t need a picture’ he said ‘don’t need a picture???’ I said ‘I’m going to be playing alongside them some day.”
Rashford’s first encounter with Rooney and Ronaldo in the academy convinced him to take matters seriously. He started training hard and taking every opportunity to be in the first-team player.
“I think I was the only kid who didn’t get a photo. After we had turned down the money, there was just this hunger inside me. I didn’t see myself as a kid anymore.
“I had to grab my opportunity and change our lives, period. To be able to go on and really live that dream, as a kid from Manchester… As a kid from Hulme, Moss Side, Chorlton, Withington, Wythenshawe… If you think I would ever take that for granted, then you simply do not know me.”
His debut against Midtjylland in the Europa League was just the beginning. From then on, Rashford has come a long way to become one of the promising prodigies in Europe, even the world. The 2016 FA Cup trophy was his first silverware with his childhood team.
The very next season, he added another collection to the trophy cabinet as he won, winning the League Cup in February 2017, and Europa League three months later. Rashdord’s latest collection trophy was last year’s League Cup after beating Newcastle United in the final.
Rashford is also aware about tons of criticism raining over him. But his love for football is something that makes him hold on all this time.
“I have tried to stay a normal person. I have tried to keep my same friends. I have tried my best not to change, even when I’m on a night out or on holiday,” he added. “But there’s another side to that. I’m a human being. I’ve made mistakes that a lot of lads in their 20s make, and I’ve tried to learn from them. But I’ve also made sacrifices that nobody sees.
“The thing that I want you to understand is that money is not what keeps you playing through the hard times. It’s the love of the game, plain and simple.”
