MARCUS RASHFORD is in the form of life, exactly seven years after his Man Utd debut.
The striker has already beaten his best tally of 22 goals in a season, with strikes number 23 and 24 coming against Leicester last Sunday.
But none of the other players from the England star’s debut in 2016 have quite shined in the way he has.
During the 2015/16 season, Rashford was thought of in most Man Utd circles as still being a way away from ready for first team football.
But an injury crisis saw 13 players ruled out of a Europa League clash with Danish side FC Midtjylland.
Striker Anthony Martial then pulled up in the warm-up, leaving boss Louis van Gaal with no choice but to call on the then-18-year-old.
READ MORE MAN UTD NEWS
In goal, David de Gea sat out the clash against the Danish side, as he did most Europa League games at the time.
Argentine Sergio Romero was called upon between the sticks instead.
Future Uruguayan international Guillermo Varela was called upon at right-back. He now plays for Brazilian side Flamengo on loan from Dynamo Moscow.
Michael Carrick was one of few players in that squad who can claim to have enjoyed a career as illustrious as Marcus Rashford.
Most read in Football
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
Due to United’s injury crisis, he was asked to play as a makeshift centre-back.
The midfield legend would go on to be Red Devils caretaker manager after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking. He now manages high-flying Middlesbrough in the Championship.
Daley Blind would fill in at left-centre-back for Man Utd. Now 32 years old, he has just joined Bayern Munich on a free transfer after leaving Ajax.
Joe Riley started at left-back for the Red Devils in one of only two appearances he would ever make for the club.
The Blackpool-born full-back now plays for Walsall but has yet to make an appearance.
Midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin plies his trade Down Under these days, at Australia’s West Sydney Wanderers, on loan from Nice.
He was partnered against Midtjylland by Ander Herrera, who is now back at boyhood club Athletic Bilbao after guiding PSG to their only Champions League final in 2020.
Memphis Depay has been on a thrilling ride since leaving Old Trafford.
A rip-roaring success at Lyon, he starred in Ronald Koeman’s Holland side, which convinced the Netherlands boss to take him to the Nou Camp with him when he took over at Barcelona.
Depay then found himself out of the picture under Xavi and moved to Atletico Madrid in January.
After eight years at Man Utd, Juan Mata moved to Galatasaray last summer.
Jesse Lingard meanwhile left for Nottingham Forest on a big-money one-year deal.
Such was the extent of Man Utd’s injury crisis that they were unable to fill their whole bench that evening, as Van Gaal named just six substitutes.
Joel Pereira was the substitute goalie. Following six loan spells, he now plays for Dutch side RKC Waalwijk.
Marcos Rojo would come on that evening, and has an impressive pedigree with the Argentina national team, despite not featuring in this year’s World Cup.
At 32, he is now the captain of Boca Juniors. But his two-year spell in Buenos Aires has not been without controversy.
Goalkeeper Romero also plays for Boca.
Both Paddy McNair and Donald Love would join David Moyes at Sunderland.
McNair now plays under Carrick at Middlesbrough while Love is on the books of Morecambe.
Regan Poole came on for Herrera, in what would be his only minute of football for Man Utd. He is now 24 and plays for Lincoln City.
Finally Andreas Pereira has been one of the bigger successes from the team that day.
He played on loan at Granada, Valencia, Lazio and Flamengo, as well as enjoying runs in the United first team under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
He is now finding his feet in Marco Silva’s Europe-chasing Fulham side.
Man Utd actually went into the clash behind 2-1 and desperate for a hero.
Things then got worse as Pione Sisto put FC Midtjylland ahead on the night.
But an own goal levelled things up before half time before a Rashford double gave United the lead on aggregate.
Read More on The Sun
Ander Herrera’s penalty then made the result safe before Depay secured a 5-1 win.
However, United would get knocked out by fierce rivals Liverpool in the next round, 3-1 on aggregate.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
