Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford has received a lot of support on social media after being called up for the England World Cup. The announcement comes just two years after he was left out of the Three Lions’ Euro 2024 squad following a difficult 2023-24 season at Old Trafford under manager Erik ten Hag.
Rashford shone during his loan spell at Barcelona this season, winning the Spanish Super Cup and La Liga title. He scored a brilliant free-kick in the latter’s decisive victory and, in addition to his existing 13 goals, also provided 14 assists for the Catalan club across all competitions.
And his reward for his form is being included in the Three Lions’ final squad. Later, in an Instagram post, he expressed his joy at being selected to represent the North American tournament, which begins on June 11th.
“Today is a full circle moment for me, from despair to joy. Missing out on the Euros squad has helped me grow as a player and as a person, and most importantly, it has given me a goal to work toward. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. I can’t wait to put on the uniform at the World Cup,” he said.
Rashford’s post attracted comments from current United players. Harry Maguire, who missed out on the squad, wrote: “Love you, well deserved”, followed by a red heart emoji. United captain Bruno Fernandes also showed his support for Rashford, posting: “My brother deserves it” with a red heart emoji.
Jordan Henderson, who is also included in Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man squad, also expressed his support. The former Liverpool captain is one of several decisions being questioned, along with surprise additions such as Ivan Toney and Jarrell Quansah, with Luke Shaw, Adam Wharton, Lewis Hall and Morgan Gibbs-White all ruled out.
England’s players will head to a training camp in Florida on June 1 before traveling to Kansas City to prepare for group stage matches against Croatia, Ghana and Panama. The tournament will open with openers between Mexico and South Africa, while England’s first game will be against Croatia on June 17th.
Barcelona have until June 15th to exercise their £26m buyout option on Rashford, and there is a good chance his future at the club will be settled by then. It is understood that United have no plans to bring him back into the first team for the 2026/27 season under manager Michael Carrick.
