Harry Maguire Praises Marcus Rashford's Return to Form at Manchester United
Harry Maguire insists Marcus Rashford is ready to play a major role for Manchester United this season, describing the forward as “a great asset” after his eye-catching return to the Premier League starting XI.
Rashford, 28, made his first league start for United in 21 months in the 5-2 win over Ipswich at Old Trafford and looked like the old menace again, one of the home side’s most dangerous attacking outlets as they came from behind.
Just a few months ago, his United career looked close to finished. A fallout with former manager Ruben Amorim pushed him out of the picture and onto successive loans at Aston Villa and Barcelona. The Catalan club had a £26m option to buy and were prepared to keep him, but the clause was never triggered.
Now, with the transfer window closing on Tuesday night, Rashford is set to stay at his boyhood club. This time, with a clean slate.
“He’s a great talent. He’s always a threat,” said Maguire after the Ipswich win. “If Marcus wants to be here, wants to work, wants to improve and help the team, of course we’re willing to have him in the team.
“He could still do a lot more and I think he’ll say he can do more but if we keep him fit, we keep him happy, he keeps driven and hungry, he’s a great asset to have.”
The words are pointed because the noise around Rashford has rarely been quiet. Criticism has followed him for years, stretching back to Erik ten Hag’s tenure. His work-rate, his commitment, even the suggestion he no longer enjoyed football – all of it has been thrown his way.
Time away from Old Trafford may have reset something. Under Unai Emery at Villa and Hansi Flick at Barcelona, Rashford found different demands, different dressing rooms, different voices. Those close to him believe that helped. So does the presence of Michael Carrick, a head coach who knows him well from their shared United past.
“You’ve got to remember Marcus has had a wonderful career for this club,” Maguire said. “But when you play at this club for numerous years, there’s going to be bad seasons, and when the bad seasons come everyone piles on you. That’s part and parcel of playing for this club.
“As a club, we haven’t been perfect from top to bottom. We haven’t been challenging at the top end. So, Marcus has been part of a rough ride for Manchester United.
“When that happens, players get dug out. I’ve been through it.”
Maguire’s own story underlines the point. He lost his place and the captaincy under Ten Hag and looked certain to leave at one stage. He stayed, fought his way back and now speaks from experience about what it takes to survive the Old Trafford glare.
“[Rashford’s] come back in, really fit and sharp and we’re excited to have him,” he added.
Carrick has gone as far as calling Rashford “like a new signing”, and he is not the only player the United boss is trying to rebuild. Kobbie Mainoo, who flourished under Carrick after being repeatedly overlooked by Amorim, now has to respond to a different kind of setback: being unused by England boss Thomas Tuchel at the World Cup.
Mainoo also started his first game of the season against Ipswich. United trailed early, the atmosphere dipped, and then the young midfielder began to grow. With every tackle and every pass, he looked more at home.
“I thought he was brilliant,” Maguire said. “To say he hasn’t had many minutes in pre-season, he was magnificent.
“His work without the ball has improved so much since Michael’s been in. He’s becoming a real monster in there, wins a lot of second balls and a lot of duels.”
That word – monster – is not used lightly. United have lacked that kind of midfield presence for years. Mainoo is still learning, still raw, but the ceiling is obvious.
“The thing is he’s so young,” Maguire continued. “If we want him to play for this club for another 10 years, there’s going to be times where he’s going to go through a patch like I spoke about with Rashy and myself.
“But that’s part and parcel. He’s really level-headed, really composed and has great belief in his ability.
“He’s going to be a magnificent player for this club for many years.”
Rashford reborn, Mainoo emerging, Carrick reshaping the core. Old Trafford has seen enough false dawns to be wary, but if United finally start to challenge again, these might be the two who drag them there.
