Rio Ferdinand has moved from writing Marcus Rashford off to urging Manchester United to rethink him. That is a big shift for a player who spent the last season-and-a-half away from Old Trafford, first on loan at Aston Villa and then at Barcelona. Barcelona’s option to sign him permanently for around £26 million expired earlier this month.
Why Ferdinand changed his view
Ferdinand did not sound remotely open to a reunion when he said: "There's no way back for Marcus after that." The criticism was tied to the club’s old doubts about his application and effort.
His later view was much softer. "Manchester United might have to reevaluate Marcus Rashford's situation," Ferdinand said. "It seems like he has matured; the time away from the club may have done him the good that he needed." He also pointed to the role Rashford has been given away from United, where he has been used as an impact player rather than a starter every week.
That matters because the same role has carried over to England. Thomas Tuchel said he was "very, very impressed with his last 16 days" in camp, and Rashford backed that up by scoring England’s final goal in Dallas in the 4-2 victory over Croatia.
The numbers fit the change in usage. Rashford has 1 World Cup appearance in the supplied sample, and he used it to score 1 goal in 22 minutes. His latest tracked outing also brought a 7.2 rating, again from a short appearance rather than a long run of starts.
United’s own position is also less frantic than it might have been in a more broken season. They arrive on a five-match run of W, W, D, W, W, which makes the Rashford conversation feel more like squad planning than emergency repair.
Ferdinand has not quite turned this into a full endorsement, but he has clearly changed his mind. The real issue now is whether Manchester United treat Rashford as a player to move on, or as one who has earned a second look after the loan spell and the England cameo.
Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →