Career Timeline of Marcus Rashford: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Marcus Rashford made an impact.

Marcus Rashford is an English professional footballer renowned for his role as a forward. He primarily plays for Manchester United in the Premier League and represents the England national team. Beyond his athletic achievements, Rashford has gained significant recognition for his social activism, particularly his advocacy for underprivileged children and campaigns against child poverty. His efforts have led to policy changes and widespread praise, solidifying his position as a prominent figure both on and off the field.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1987: Aston Villa Relegation

On 16 April 2016, Marcus Rashford scored the only goal against Aston Villa, who were subsequently relegated for the first time since 1987.

1990: England's Best Performance Since 1990

In 1990, England ultimately finished fourth overall – their best performance since 1990.

2012: Milestone Since Robin van Persie

In May, Marcus Rashford scored his 30th goal of the season during a 4-1 win against Chelsea, making him the first United player since Robin van Persie in the 2012-13 season to reach the milestone. He was voted by supporters as the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year and the Players' Player of the Year.

2012: Manchester Derby

On 20 March 2016, Rashford scored the only goal in the Manchester derby, his team's first away league win over Manchester City since 2012

2013: First Team Training

During the 2013–14 season, Marcus Rashford trained with Manchester United's first team for the first time aged 16 under the management of David Moyes.

2015: Praised by Nicky Butt

In 2015, Manchester United Under-19s manager Nicky Butt praised Marcus Rashford's performances for the team in a UEFA Youth League match and awarded him the captaincy. Rashford was named on the first-team bench for a Premier League match against Watford on 21 November.

February 2016: First-Team and European Debut

In February 2016, 18-year-old Marcus Rashford scored two goals on both his first-team and European debut against Midtjylland in the UEFA Europa League and his Premier League debut against Arsenal three days later. He also scored in his first Manchester derby, as well as on his EFL Cup and UEFA Champions League debuts.

February 2016: Loan Bid Rejected

In February 2016, a loan bid from League One club Crewe Alexandra for Marcus Rashford was rejected by Reserves manager Warren Joyce.

February 2016: UEFA Europa League Debut

On 25 February 2016, Marcus Rashford made his UEFA Europa League debut against Midtjylland, scoring two goals in a 5–1 win. He also made his Premier League debut against Arsenal three days later, scoring twice in a 3–2 victory.

March 2016: Manchester Derby Goal

On 20 March 2016, Marcus Rashford scored the only goal in the Manchester derby, becoming the youngest scorer in the fixture in the Premier League era.

April 2016: Hodgson Said It Was Unlikely Rashford Would Be Included In His Tournament Squad

In April 2016, England manager Roy Hodgson said it was "unlikely" Rashford would be included in his tournament squad.

May 2016: England Debut

In May 2016, Marcus Rashford scored on his England debut, becoming the youngest English player to score in his first senior international match.

August 2016: Called up to England under-21 team

In August 2016, despite having already made his senior début earlier in the year, Rashford was called up to the England under-21 team for the first time for a fixture in September against Norway under-21s.

August 2016: First Goal of the Season

On 27 August 2016, Marcus Rashford scored his first goal of the season against Hull City.

September 2016: Omission from England Squad

In September 2016, new England manager Sam Allardyce told Rashford he would not be called up to his first squad for a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Slovakia, citing his lack of playing time in the early stages of the season.

2016: Number 19 Jersey

For the 2016–17 season, Marcus Rashford was given the number 19 jersey by new manager José Mourinho, marking his place as part of the senior squad.

January 2017: Brace Against Reading

On 7 January 2017, Marcus Rashford scored a four-minute brace in the FA Cup against Reading.

February 2017: EFL Cup Victory

On 26 February 2017, Marcus Rashford won his third trophy in the EFL Cup final, coming on as a substitute in the 3–2 victory over Southampton.

April 2017: Mourinho Concedes Rashford Would Attend UEFA European Under-21 Championship

In April 2017, United manager José Mourinho appeared to concede Rashford would attend the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, saying he had no right to stop him from participating, but later in the month reiterated his opinion that dropping down wouldn't make sense, with Rashford having gained so much senior experience throughout the season.

August 2017: UEFA Super Cup Appearance

On 8 August 2017, Marcus Rashford made his first appearance of his second full senior season against Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup. On 26 August, Rashford scored his first goal of the season against Leicester.

September 2017: First Competitive Goal for England

On 4 September 2017, Rashford scored his first competitive goal for the senior team, with the winning goal in England's 2–1 win over Slovakia in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification.

March 2018: Goals Against Liverpool

On 10 March 2018, Marcus Rashford scored both goals in a 2–1 win over rivals Liverpool.

June 2018: World Cup Warm-Up Goal

In June 2018, Rashford scored the opening goal of England's final warm-up match against Costa Rica.

September 2018: UEFA Nations League Goal Against Spain

In September 2018, Rashford scored at Wembley in England's UEFA Nations League opener against Spain, losing 2–1. Three days later, Rashford also scored in a 1–0 friendly win over Switzerland at the King Power Stadium.

September 2018: Red Card Against Burnley

On 2 September 2018, Marcus Rashford was sent off in a 2–0 win over Burnley after clashing heads with Phil Bardsley. On 29 September, he scored his first goal of the season in a 3–1 loss to West Ham United.

December 2018: Assists and Goals in Multiple Games

Throughout December 2018, Marcus Rashford provided assists in the 2–2 draw against Southampton on December 1, and in a 4–1 victory against Fulham. On December 22, Rashford scored in Manchester United's 5–1 victory against Cardiff City, and on December 30, he scored and assisted in a 4–1 victory against Bournemouth. These performances led to praise from manager Solskjær.

2018: FIFA World Cup Appearance

In 2018, Marcus Rashford represented England at the FIFA World Cup.

January 2019: Scoring Streak and Player of the Month Award

In January 2019, Marcus Rashford achieved a scoring streak, including a goal against Tottenham Hotspur on January 13. He made his 150th appearance for Manchester United and became the youngest player to score in four successive league games on January 20. Rashford was named Manchester United's Player of the Month for January 2019 and also won United's goal of the month for his goal against Tottenham. He also earned the Premier League Player of the Month title.

March 2019: Champions League Goal and League Victory

In March 2019, Marcus Rashford scored a penalty against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on March 6, helping Manchester United advance to the quarter-finals. He also scored the opening goal in a 2–1 victory against Watford on March 30, marking United's first win with Solskjær as permanent manager.

June 2019: Nations League Semi-Final Goal

In June 2019, Rashford scored the opening goal of the game against the Netherlands in the Nations League semi-final, however England lost 3–1 in extra time.

July 2019: New Contract and Season Start

On July 1, 2019, Marcus Rashford signed a new four-year contract with Manchester United, extending his stay until June 2023. During the opening week of the season, he scored twice in a 4–0 win over Chelsea.

October 2019: First Euro 2020 Qualification Goal

During the October 2019 internationals, Rashford scored his first goal in England's qualification campaign for Euro 2020 in a 6–0 away victory over Bulgaria on 14 October.

October 2019: In the Box Campaign with Selfridges

In October 2019, Rashford set up the In the Box campaign with Selfridges to give homeless people essential items over the Christmas period.

March 2020: Partnership with FareShare During Lockdown

In March 2020, during the UK lockdown imposed by Boris Johnson's government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rashford teamed up with the poverty and food waste charity FareShare to deliver meals to those in the Greater Manchester area who were no longer receiving their free school meals.

April 2020: Signed with Roc Nation

In April 2020, Rashford signed with Jay-Z's entertainment agency Roc Nation, with president Michael Yormark praising him as a "shining example" passionate about community.

September 2020: First Goal of the Season

On September 26, 2020, Marcus Rashford scored his first goal of the season in a 3–2 win against Brighton & Hove Albion.

October 2020: Questioning Universal Credit Increase

In October 2020, Rashford publicly questioned Chancellor Rishi Sunak regarding a permanent £20 increase in Universal Credit, expressing concern for families relying on it. His team considered the £1,040 annual increase as the "missing piece" in their campaign.

November 2020: Government Funding for Poor Families

In November 2020, the government announced it would provide nearly £400m in funding over the next 12 months to support food and household bills for poor families due to Rashford's campaign.

2020: Euro 2020 Qualification

In 2020, England became the ninth team to qualify for Euro 2020.

2020: UEFA European Championship Appearance

In 2020, Marcus Rashford appeared in the UEFA European Championship final, where England finished as runners-up to Italy.

2020: New Contract with Manchester United

On 30 May 2016, Marcus Rashford signed a new contract with Manchester United worth £20,000 a week, which would keep him at the club until 2020, with an option to extend for a further year.

2020: Euro 2020

Rashford was named in the 26-man squad for Euro 2020, and was given the number 11 shirt, but going into the tournament, Rashford's role as a starter appeared in doubt.

January 2021: Highlighting Unacceptable Food Packages

In January 2021, Rashford used his Twitter account to highlight the unacceptable food packages parents received through supplier Chartwells, leading to Prime Minister Johnson conducting a review of the situation. During Prime Minister's Questions on January 13, Johnson credited Rashford as being more effective than the Leader of the Opposition.

January 2021: United Top of the Table

On January 12, 2021, Marcus Rashford assisted Paul Pogba's goal against Burnley, helping Manchester United reach the top of the table for the first time since the 2012–13 season.

April 2021: Award from the National Education Union

In April 2021, Rashford received an award from the National Education Union for his work in campaigning for free school meals.

April 2021: Formal Launch of Book Club

In April 2021, Rashford's book club was formally launched with Macmillan Publishers, with the intention of freely distributing 50,000 books and releasing two new books a year.

April 2021: Launch of Recipes and Online Video Lessons

In April 2021, Rashford, along with chef Tom Kerridge, announced the launch of a series of recipes and online video lessons to provide cheap and simple recipe ideas for people to cook at home.

June 2021: Captained England For The First Time

On 6 June 2021, Rashford captained England for the first time, converting a penalty in a 1–0 win against Romania.

October 2021: Return from Injury with Goal

In October 2021, Marcus Rashford returned to training on October 11 and scored in a 4–2 away loss to Leicester City after coming off the bench.

October 2021: Conferment of Honorary Doctorate and Universal Credit Speech

In October 2021, Rashford's honorary doctorate was officially conferred in a ceremony. He remarked that the occasion was bittersweet because it was the day after the government withdrew the £20/week increase in Universal Credit.

January 2022: Last-Minute Winner Against West Ham

On January 22, 2022, Marcus Rashford scored a 93rd-minute winner in a 1–0 win against West Ham United, scoring more last-minute winners in Premier League history than any other player.

October 2022: 100th United Goal

On October 30, 2022, Marcus Rashford scored his 100th goal for Manchester United in a 1–0 win against West Ham.

2022: FIFA World Cup Appearance

In 2022, Marcus Rashford represented England at the FIFA World Cup.

2022: Beats Advertisement with Dave

In 2022, Rashford and Dave linked for the "Never Beaten" advertisement for Beats by Dre.

2022: 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar

In 2022, Rashford was named in Southgate's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and was again assigned the number 11 shirt. In England's opening game of the group stage, a 6–2 win over Iran, Rashford came on as a second-half substitute and scored within a minute of coming on, making the score 5–1.