Paul Ince Calls for Manchester United to Support Rashford's Revival
Marcus Rashford’s Manchester United future hangs in the balance, but Paul Ince is adamant: this is not the time to cut ties.
United are actively trying to move the winger on after his loan spell at Barcelona, where the Catalan club ultimately walked away from a permanent deal and chose to sign Anthony Gordon instead. For many, that looked like the final nudge towards the Old Trafford exit door.
Ince sees it very differently.
“Put your arm around him”
The former United midfielder believes Rashford’s career can be reset at the club where it all began – and that Michael Carrick is the man to do it.
“I just think Michael Carrick can get the best out of him, I really, really do,” Ince told Oddschecker. “I think if you just put your arm around Rashford then you’re going to see a very, very good player. Fingers crossed that’s the case. But there’s one thing for sure, he is a very, very talented player and if he’s happy, he will perform for you.”
It is a simple prescription: trust, protection, clarity. Ince is convinced that strong, supportive man-management is the key to dragging Rashford back to his best.
Carrick, who steered United to a third-place finish in the Premier League last season and a return to Champions League football, has already shown he can restore order and confidence in a dressing room that had lost both. Ince believes that same calm authority can unlock Rashford again.
Barcelona high, Barcelona blow
Rashford’s loan in Spain had looked like the beginning of a new chapter. He scored regularly, carried a threat across the frontline and, crucially, looked like he was enjoying his football again.
“I feel for Rashford, I really do, because I think he’s a fantastic player,” Ince said. “He can play off the left and he can play off the right. I’m not sure if many people watched him last year playing for Barcelona but he was scoring goals, he was enjoying himself, and he looked a completely different player.
“Then when you think Barcelona are going to sign him they get Anthony Gordon and it kills Rashford. You saw in the World Cup the magic he can bring, he’s got that talent.”
One decision from Barcelona, one signing, and the momentum that had been building around Rashford’s renaissance suddenly stalled. The permanent move never came. The questions returned.
A crossroads at Old Trafford
Now Rashford is back in Manchester, his future unresolved while United weigh up their options in the window. The club are open to a sale. Ince is urging them to pause.
He sees a player whose confidence has been shaken but whose ceiling remains high. A forward who has already proved, for club and country, that he can decide big games when the environment suits him.
Carrick’s presence changes the equation. This is not a manager guessing at what Rashford needs; this is a former team-mate, a figure who understands Old Trafford’s demands and the pressures that come with being the local hero expected to deliver every week.
United open their 2026–27 Premier League campaign on August 22 against newly-promoted Hull City. By then, the picture around Rashford may be clearer.
Will he be lining up in red, handed one more chance to thrive under Carrick’s guidance? Or will United choose to cash in on a homegrown talent just as one of their own believes he can be rebuilt?
