A New Era: Marcus Rashford’s Second Chance at Success
With little playing time and a lousy attitude, Marcus Rashford seemed to be at the bottom of his career last year. During his time with the Red Devils, Rashford was consistently held back, oftentimes left out of the squad altogether, not even given a chance to prove himself. However, when the winter transfer window opened, the 27-year-old seized the opportunity to join Aston Villa on loan, which has opened a new door for him. After making multiple assists across competitions, including the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League, Rashford finally got to compete again at the national level. England’s National Team coach, Thomas Tuchel, has officially called up Marcus Rashford to return to play for his country in the World Cup Qualifiers.
The last time Rashford was included in the England team was in March 2024, a year ago, for a friendly against Brazil. He was also infamously left out of Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 lineup. With how well the Aston Villa forward performed at the 2022 World Cup, even earning praise in the competition for scoring an incredible free kick against Wales, he still wasn’t called up for the following competition. Controversy followed Southgate’s decision to leave him out, leading to numerous social media posts from the player throughout the competition expressing his frustration from home. Rashford was then ridiculed for missing out on England’s “New Generation,” saying he lost the opportunity to be part of the national team's future due to his attitude about Southgate’s decision.
However, fast-forward to now, and Marcus Rashford’s call-up for the World Cup Qualifiers is his new chance at redemption on the national level. With his chance-creating abilities at Aston Villa, Tuchel sees his potential, going on record to say that Rashford is a good player and has the potential to help England make it to the World Cup and then win the World Cup, as England has failed to do many times before. Not only that, but with Aston Villa’s success in the Champions League, making it to the Quarterfinals, with their next round against Paris Saint-Germain, Rashford’s opportunities to prove himself this year are never-ending. With his year going well since his loan, fans wonder whether or not his luck will run out once he’s back at Manchester United under coach Ruben Amorim. Until next season, Marcus Rashford’s career will continue to thrive, but only time will tell if his future will remain as successful.
