MARCUS RASHFORD handed Manchester United the perfect derby boost — revealing he wants to spend his whole career there.
Rashford, 23, has been on the books at Old Trafford since he was a boy and feels a deep bond with the club forged long before bursting into the first team almost five years ago.
Marcus Rashford insists he has no desire to leave Manchester United in the futureCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Rashford burst onto the scene in 2016 with a double on debut vs MidtjyllandCredit: Getty – Contributor
The England striker and now award-winning social campaigner says wearing another club’s shirt “wouldn’t sit right”.
Rashford praised United for giving him lifts to training from the age of six, helping with accommodation aged 11 and continuing such a caring role “until I was 16, 17”.
The Mancunian said: “The bond that I have with United is much greater than just these last five years, and it will forever be greater than my actual career.
“For me, I never look beyond Manchester United.
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“As a kid I’ve never looked beyond Manchester United in my mind, it wouldn’t sit right for me to be pulling on another shirt.
“I just want to do the best I can for the club whilst I’m here, so hopefully I’m here for the long term.”
Rashford’s words will be a tonic for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men as they look to banish their Champions League exit by beating Manchester City on Saturday.
He was speaking as he won a British Sports Awards’ gong for Sport for Social Change, following his campaign against child poverty and for free school meals.
Rashford has been at United since the age of seven and has a huge affinity with the fans
Mancunian Marcus Rashford has a close link with United fans and the community, which he believes the wider world might not realiseCredit: Getty – Contributor
The frontman was also named runner-up to Lewis Hamilton as Sportsman of the Year in the Sports Journalists’ Association event, having been made an MBE in October.
Rashford added: “All the good things that have happened this year it’s come from Manchester United giving me the opportunity as a kid.
“I don’t just remember the last year or the last five years, I’m talking about the times when nobody in my family drove and I had to get to training.
“United had people to come and take me to the training ground and take me back home.
“When I was six, seven, eight years old, I’m talking about the times when they put me into accommodation when my mum was struggling at home, when I was 11 years old and I was up there until I was 16, 17, so it’s a lot deeper than what people see sometimes.
“I think people only see some of the stuff that’s been happening since I’ve been in the first team.
“But the bond that I have with United is much greater than just these last five years, and it will forever be greater than my actual career.
“They’re the reason that I’ve become a footballer, they’ve given me an opportunity to express myself and find out that I had talent in football.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
