Does Marcus Rashford deserve the No.10 shirt, and what does his future look like?

Marcus Rashford is a very divisive figure at Manchester United. For the first time in his career, he is under serious media pressure and fan scrutiny. When the decision was made not to replace Romelu Lukaku after his big money summer move to Inter Milan, it was obvious that Rashford was to lead the line. He is perhaps Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's most important player, not just in terms of his performances on the pitch, but also as a flag bearer of his new Manchester United - a personification of 'United values'. A bright, young and pacey striker, hailing from Wythenshawe (near Manchester airport) and having been at the club since he was 7 years old, he embodies everything that Manchester United is.

Perhaps this is why the decision was made to hand him the number 10 shirt at the age of 20. When the squad numbers were published last season, many United fans were more than surprised and some greatly disappointed that such a young player would inherit the shirt worn by so many legends over the years. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (the last wearer of the number 10) was deemed by many as a good choice for it after Wayne Rooney's departure; a legend of the modern game taking a legendary shirt, so to see it go to a young man like Rashford was a shock to many.

Having been deployed on the wing for much of Jose Mourinho's stint at Old Trafford, then as a central striker for Ole, Rashford scored 10 goals in 33 Premier League appearances last season. It would be harsh to say that that was poor form, and it was certainly impressive from the then 20 year old, but being handed such a legendary shirt suggested that Rashford was expected to carry much more weight this time around... and in fairness, he's delivered! In the 2019/20 season he has perhaps been the best player at Manchester United, already beating last seasons tally with 12 goals in 21 appearances at time of writing. On top of that, he has recorded 4 assists, making him directly involved in exactly half of Manchester United's goals this season (16 of 32). He is clearly a key player, and on that evidence alone he is surely deserving of the 10.

However, with these numbers comes something he has not dealt with before. The rage of the media, fans and public alike has set a new target, in Marcus Rashford. It seems that every time United lose or draw in this inconsistent season, Rashford is one of the first names up for discussion, and his performances up for dissection. The footballing world now expects more from him, having had it's first proper taste of a classy Marcus Rashford for more than a small run of games (as we saw under Mourinho). However, despite this added pressure and exposure, Rashford's professionalism has never really faltered or wavered - his interviews are mature and he lets his football talk in the next game if things don't fall his way. He has stopped being referred to as a 'bright young player with a great future' to being called United's main man.

The question is whether he can continue this form for the next 8-10 seasons. According to BBC Sport, a footballers career hits its peak between 27-29 years of age, and Rashford is just over 5 years shy of beginning his hypothetical 'golden period'. Now, we've seen many promising youngsters explode onto the scene at Manchester United, and then fade in mediocrity. One player at the club who currently fits that bill would be Jesse Lingard, who hails from a similar footballing background, a young local academy player who plays his way into the first team. Don't get me wrong, Lingard was a really promising youngster, and hasn't done badly at Manchester United by any stretch, but his recent stats and performances suggest that he simply is not of the standard that United require (having failed to score or assist in the Premier League for the entirety of 2019). Rashford must be careful not to tread the same path, he must not get carried away, focus on his football and nothing but his football before he can truly earn the faith showed in him by the club to bestow upon him one of it's iconic shirt numbers.

Figure the last few wearers before Rooney: Van Nistelrooy lead the line and won a league title and the golden boot in 2003, Teddy Sheringham famously won the treble in '99 and scored the 'other' goal in the Champions League final that year. David Beckham (before he took 7) needs no stats to back his tenure and Roy Keane led United in the 93/94 - 95/96 seasons wearing the number 10. Unlike the number 7 shirt, which has been labelled as being 'cursed' in recent years (with Alexis Sanchez, Di Maria and Depay not living up to expectations) United have not had what you'd describe as a 'flop' in a number 10 shirt for generations - and I'd expect that to continue. Rashford is a young man, and he still has time to 'flop', but I'd argue that under the right manager (I certainly do not expect Solskjaer to coach him for his entire career) he could flourish, and lead United's front line for a decade. He is certainly the most impressive player to come out of the academy in recent years, and the fact that he is Manchester United's main man puts him in a very small category of players - a key striker under the age of 23, doing it on the biggest stage.

I would not put him under the same bracket as Kylian Mbappe, who is a ready-made superstar and World Cup winner at 21, but he is on a great course. Hopefully, the next United manager will recognise his talents and allow them to grow - and I can't see why they wouldn't. While the debate over whether he was better out wide or as a striker raged in the van Gaal and Mourinho era's, Solskjaer has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Rashford is a striker, and a pretty good one at that. Whilst he hasn't fully earned the 10 shirt yet, I believe that he can and I believe that he will - he has the chance to become a legend at this club, and with the right support, and if he continues doing what he is doing, he will be.