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Marcus Rashford cannot keep relying on what he achieved in the past and must turn himself into a “now player” for Manchester United, Gordon Strachan has told GOAL. The Old Trafford academy product has been brought back into the Red Devils set-up after a loan spell at Barcelona, and he has now been urged to give much-needed support to influential club captain Bruno Fernandes.

Rashford back at Man Utd after Barcelona loan

Portuguese creator Fernandes, who set a Premier League record with 21 assists last season, is still having to carry United at times. He has been doing that for the better part of seven years.

There is no shortage of talent around him in Manchester, but too many of his team-mates have failed to deliver consistently. That has to improve if United are to become challengers once again for the biggest honours in England and Europe.

Rashford is being asked to play his part in that mission in 2026-27 after spells with Aston Villa and Barca. The 28-year-old knows exactly what is required at Old Trafford, having made 428 appearances for the Red Devils and scored 128 goals. It was only three years ago that he struck 30 times during the 2022-23 season.

His form has dipped since those achievements, and after signing a lucrative contract, but he has now been handed a fresh start. There were no clubs willing to take him in the last transfer window, as Rashford moves into the final two years of his £325,000-a-week contract.

Lack of interest in Rashford during transfer window

Asked whether he was surprised by the apparent shortage of interest in the 78-cap England international, former United midfielder Strachan - speaking in association with Grosvenor Sport - told GOAL: “It doesn't surprise me. No, no. Because I think it's all a bit... Signing players and having players is all a bit immediate.

“You can't be signing players on what they did two years ago. It's impossible to do that. I think Marcus Rashford with the wages and things like that, when you're paying that type of wage, you can't always guarantee success. That player's got to be successful.

“Also, as a manager, I think when you take Marcus Rashford along, because he's at Manchester United, everything is about Marcus Rashford. I always ask, why is he not playing? What is he not there? This has happened.

“If you go to Barcelona, and it's not a Barcelona team of years ago, with any Xavi and Messi. It's a Barcelona side that's a good Barcelona. He's not got a game there. He's basically been a sub for the last two years.You really want that in your team?

“Whatever it is he gets, X amount of money, I can see why a lot of people wouldn't have bought that. It takes up too much time. It could be the same for Michael Carrick. If he doesn't play him, why is he not getting a game? Is it because of this? He's a guy that gets a lot of media attention.

“There's a lot of media attention to what he was as a player three years ago. That's up to Marcus Rashford to sort that out and deal with it himself. And to make himself a player of now, rather than two or three years ago. You have to be a now player.

“Even the signings coming in on deadline day, I watched an under-19 game with Dundee, so I've come back in, I'm watching players come in and sign for 45, 60 million and I've never heard of these players. But they're players of the now. People want action now.

“So that's probably why Marcus... There's a talent there. There's absolutely a talent there. You can't be a consistent talent if you've got that game. You can't be in the game all the time. His job is to score goals and make goals.”

Fernandes needs support from Rashford & Co

Strachan, who spent five years at United between 1984 and 1989, added on what the Red Devils need as a unit: “I think Bruno Fernandes would get up in the morning and go to the game and think, ‘I hope somebody else scores more goals and makes goals rather than me because it's me all the time’.

“And that's where Marcus Rashford and people like that have to say, ‘right, we’ve let this guy do everything, I want to do something now’. I don't know if those days are beyond him, of ‘I want to be the best player on the pitch and I want to do this’ and there's a kind of vibe from him. I don't know if that vibe's there anymore. I hope I'm wrong. I hope the guy does really well because he seems like a decent fella.”

Man Utd fixtures 2026-27: Trip to Everton next up

Rashford has featured in both of United’s matches at the start of the 2026-27 Premier League campaign - coming off the bench in the Red Devils’ disappointing 2-0 loss at Hull City, before being named in the starting line-up for their 5-2 home victory over Ipswich.

The latest transfer deadline has now gone by without any sale being approved, which means the Manchester-born forward will remain available to Michael Carrick until at least January. United return to action on Sunday with a trip to Merseyside for a clash against Everton.