Manchester United star Marcus Rashford has revealed that he turned down a photo opportunity with two Red Devils legends during his time at the club’s youth academy.
Marcus Rashford has been a key part of the Manchester United first team since his emergence and is a leading senior figure for current manager Erik ten Hag.
The 26-year-old received his senior debut under former United manager Louis van Gaal after rising through the ranks of the Red Devils’ youth academy.
Since his time at Old Trafford, Rashford has made an impressive 391 senior appearances for United and scored 128 times and registered 74 assists.
The England star has lifted a Europa League, an FA Cup and two League Cups at United, although Rashford has faced criticism this season over his run of form.
Rashford snubs two Man Utd legends
Marcus Rashford inked a new deal at Old Trafford last summer after an explosive run of form at Manchester United under Erik ten Hag in the 2022-23 season.
The United star ended the previous campaign with a goalscoring tally of 30 in 56 matches across all competitions, with Rashford in a rich vein of form at the time.
However, Rashford has underperformed this season and the Three Lions international has only found the back of the net five times in 32 appearances.
The United forward recalled his time at the club’s academy and how Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney once met with the young players.
Rashford is a big admirer of Wayne Rooney, with the England international playing alongside the United legend and Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford.
However, the England international explained why he snubbed a photo opportunity with the two former United stars when they visited the academy players.
Speaking in a piece for The Players’ Tribune, Rashford said: “Money is great. It’s a blessing. But dreams are priceless.
“For me, even at 11 years old, playing for United was my only goal. I remember around that time, when I was still trying to get signed, Wazza and Cristiano came by to do something with all the academy lads, and I was just looking at them in awe, you know what I mean?
“They had a photographer there, and at the end all us kids had a chance to get a picture with them, and I remember hanging in the back away from everyone.
“I remember my brother saying, ‘Go take a picture with Wazza, bro! What are you doing???’ I said, ‘I don’t need a picture.’ He said, ‘Don’t need a picture???’
“I said, ‘I’m going to be playing alongside them some day.’ I think I was the only kid who didn’t get a photo.”
Rashford shoots down money idea
Rashford has insisted that he has not been motivated by “money” and that his desire to play football has been driven by the “hunger” inside of him.
“After we had turned down the money, there was just this hunger inside me,” he continued.
“I didn’t see myself as a kid anymore. I had to grab my opportunity and change our lives, period.
“To be able to go on and really live that dream, as a kid from Manchester… As a kid from Hulme, Moss Side, Chorlton, Withington, Wythenshawe…
“If you think I would ever take that for granted, then you simply do not know me.”
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