Rashford shines on return as United pundits value reintegrated winger at £70m

Marcus Rashford is staking a strong claim for a regular starting berth on Manchester United’s left wing, with the club’s own analysts arguing his reintegration amounts to signing a £70m forward at no cost.

Rashford made his second consecutive start under manager Michael Carrick in United’s Premier League fixture against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, having previously started against Ipswich Town and come on at half-time in the opening-day game against Hull. The 28-year-old consistently had the better of Everton defender Merlin Rohl throughout the match, and United were noticeably less threatening after Rashford was replaced by Patrick Dorgu with 20 minutes remaining.

Carrick later clarified in his post-match press conference that the substitution was precautionary, with Rashford visibly tiring — observers noted he had asked for an energy drink during the game — understandable given he is still building match sharpness after limited minutes earlier in the campaign.

Speaking on the Manchester is Red podcast, Manchester Evening News journalists Steven Railston and Tyrone Marshall were effusive in their assessment. “He was looking good and dangerous on a football pitch,” Railston said, adding that Rashford’s energy levels had understandably dipped given his lack of recent starts.

Marshall went further, contextualising Rashford’s value in the current transfer market. “You can just see Rashford is a level above,” he said, referencing the comparison with Dorgu, whose appearances on the left wing last season amounted to a small sample size. “If you were trying to sign a left-winger in this market that could offer you that, you’d be looking at £70 million-plus at the very least. United have got him for nothing because he’s always been there.”

Marshall also highlighted Rashford’s defensive contribution, noting that his tracking back against Ipswich had been particularly impressive — a sign, he suggested, of renewed commitment to the collective cause.

Perhaps most encouragingly for United, the combination of Rashford and left-back Luke Shaw has clicked quickly. “That partnership with Shaw has really clicked again straight away, like it’s not taken them long to get going at all,” Marshall observed.

Dorgu, who started the Hull opener before being replaced at the break by Rashford, had shown promise on the left flank during pre-season and early in the campaign, but the evidence so far suggests Rashford is the first-choice option when fit and available.