Man Utd: Old Trafford side have struck gold on "electric" 5 foot 10 gem
Manchester United have put a poor start to the season behind them as they have won successive matches for the first time, defeating Burnley and Crystal Palace and this should give them confidence.
Erik ten Hag would’ve hoped his side were going to kick on from a positive maiden term in Manchester for the Dutchman, yet it hasn’t quite gone to plan.
His summer arrivals haven’t really hit the ground running while a series of injury problems has left United short in key areas, most notably the defence and attack.
This has led the former Ajax boss to utilise the services of several youngsters in his first team so far, as Alejandro Garnacho, Hannibal Mejbri and Facundo Pellistri all stepping up when it matters most and giving Ten Hag something to think about.
The Old Trafford side are of course, famous for believing in young talent since the days of Sir Matt Busby and a plethora of academy graduates have played a key role in United’s success over the years.
Marcus Rashford has arguably been one of the finest players to emerge from the youth ranks in the previous decade as he has established himself as one of United’s best players and the Red Devils have certainly struck gold on him, especially considering his market value.
When did Marcus Rashford make his Manchester United debut?
During Louis Van Gaal’s final season in 2015/16, United dropped from the Champions League into the Europa League and headed into their second leg tie against FC Midtjylland trailing 2-1 from the first leg.
Due to various injuries, the Dutchman gave Rashford his first start for the club and he went on to score twice as the Red Devils won 5-1 on the night, and it was certainly the catalyst which sent the youngster on his way to stardom.
Indeed, just three days later, he netted a double on his Premier League debut against Arsenal to secure a 3-2 win, and it was looking like the teenager was going to be a regular fixture until the end of that season.
These performances laid the foundations for the career the Englishman has gone on to have, while his value has since skyrocketed following his embryonic stages at the club.
What is Marcus Rashford’s market value now?
Having cost United nothing due to working his way through the youth ranks, the winger is now currently valued at €62.3m (£54m) according to Football Transfers and this represents a stunning rise over the previous few years.
His value actually peaked at €82.7m (£71.5m) back in November 2021, yet if he continues to showcase the form which has turned him into one of United’s main goal scoring outlets since Ten Hag arrived, his value could return to this figure, or even surpass it.
The Dutchman won't be looking to sell him anytime soon, yet if the player wanted a move away from Old Trafford, they would stand to rake in a momentous profit on the 25-year-old as he looks to be heading into the prime years of his career.
Why is Marcus Rashford worth this much?
Although the 5 foot 10 sensation enjoyed a breakthrough first few months in 2016, it took him a few years to finally remain consistent enough in order to score ten or more Premier League goals during a single season.
This came during the 2018/19 campaign, scoring 17 goals across all competitions, and it was clear that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – who took charge midway through that term – had a player he could trust to score 15 or more goals every season.
Returns of 22 and 21 efforts over the next two seasons indicated that Rashford was becoming the main man at the Red Devils, yet his form dipped during 2021/22, scoring only five times all season which saw the Norwegian sacked as the manager.
With a new era set to begin following the appointment of Ten Hag ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, it represented a fresh start for the 25-year-old, and it was one that he relished.
Across a total of 56 matches, Rashford scored 30 goals and grabbed a further 11 assists and this was his best total in a single season since he broke onto the scene at the back end of the 2015/16 campaign.
He ranked first across the United squad in the league for goals and assists (22), while also finishing top of the pile for shots on target per game (1.4) and successful dribbles per game (1.5) as he was arguably the star of the season for Ten Hag.
When compared to positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues, Rashford’s performances ranked him in the top 1% for total shots per 90 (3.84), the top 3% for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.53) and the top 9% for touches in the opposition penalty area per 90 (6.39) which is further proof that he is one of the finest forwards on the continent.
Although he has only scored once and registered two assists in seven games this term, he has been hailed for his performances, with analyst Statman Dave dubbing him “electric” due to his impressive first-half performance against Brighton and Hove Albion a few weeks ago.
If Ten Hag wants his reign at United to be a success, keep Rashford motivated will surely be his main task and this includes keeping him fit and happy while deploying him on his favoured position – the left wing.
Throughout his career, he has played 182 matches on the left wing, contributing 62 goals and 41 assists during those ties, and it is imperative that he continues to get utilised in this role.
The Old Trafford side have hit the jackpot on the talented winger, there’s no doubt about that and his rise from rough diamond into one of the best performers in the top flight suggest that there is hope for the majority of young players who are trying to emerge from the United academy.
Rashford is a beacon of hope for many people, both inside and outside the club and his value rising to stratospheric levels indicate that the club are still doing some things correctly.