Exclusive: Wayne Rooney backs Marcus Rashford to beat goalscoring record: ‘Privileged position’

Wayne Rooney has backed Marcus Rashford to break his Manchester United goalscoring record despite his troubles this season.

Speaking as a TNT Sports pundit ahead of United’s clash with Everton at Old Trafford, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, Rooney said Rashford was in a "privileged position" and can progress past his high-water mark of 253 goals.

Rooney was asked initially whether he had any sympathy for the amount of pressure Rashford is under.

“Not much to be honest,” Rooney said. “He’s in a privileged position where he’s playing for Manchester United.

“I’ve said before, he’s the one player I really believed could go and get my goalscoring record, and I hope he does because he’s a Manchester lad, but he needs to hit some consistency.

“Of course, he’s not having the best of seasons but he needs to find some form and consistency and become a leader of this team."

Rooney added that he believed Rashford needed some cajoling from senior players to get the best out of him.

“I don’t think Marcus is that type of player, I don’t think he’s a leader and sometimes his body language doesn’t look the best from that point of view,” Rooney said.

“For me I look at the likes of Casemiro, [Raphael] Varane, Bruno [Fernandes] as captain. They’re players who should be getting that out of Marcus because sometimes you need your team-mates to get more out of you as well.”

Rooney’s co-pundit Rio Ferdinand reflected on the 38-year-old’s career at Old Trafford and picked out the differences in attitude between him and Rashford.

“When Wayne wasn’t in form and there were moments, all of us had our moments. We’re not sitting here and saying it went rosy for us all the time,” Ferdinand told TNT Sports.

Ferdinand continued: “But the likes of Wayne Rooney, who was ridiculously talented which I mentioned before, if he was searching for more goals the one thing he would fall back on was what? Work ethic, body language, chasing people and then that instils something, it gets something from the crowd, generates an energy and all of a sudden the performance starts lifting from that.”

Rooney suggested that unless Rashford’s form improves, a new challenge may be the best option for the 26-year-old.

“It is important the people you have around you, it can get lonely,” he said. “I hope he's not in that position, you play for United and England so you will get scrutinised.

“You have to get ready. He is a Manchester lad and I really hope that he gets back into form and has a long career here.

“But maybe he needs to move to another club.”

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