Rashford sets ambitious Man Utd target after private chat with Rooney

03 August 2023 , 11:48

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Marcus Rashford wants to become Manchester United's record scorer... and current holder Wayne Rooney believes he can do it.

Rashford, 25, scored 30 goals for United last season to mark the best return of his career to date. The England international has spent his entire career with the Red Devils after graduating from their academy and recently signed a new five-year contract.

Rashford has found the net 123 times for United so far, meaning he's still some way behind Rooney's record of 253 goals. Yet the wizard from Wythenshawe is confident of sitting above Rooney in Old Trafford's gallery of greats before his time is done.

He will be able to add to his tally when the new Premier League season starts later this month. United's campaign gets underway against Wolves at Old Trafford in 11 days' time, with Rashford expected to start on the left flank - his preferred position.

Rashford revealed his ambition to become United's record scorer during a chat with Gary Neville on The Overlap. He said: "Hopefully I will [break the record]. You never know what’s going to happen, but I’m all about scoring goals and trying to make assists.

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"There’s a chance that it can happen. I’ve spoken to Wazza about it - he wants me to do it! He said it would be good for me to do it as I’ve grown up at the club. Hopefully I get the opportunity to try and make it happen."

Rooney joined United from Everton in 2004 and made 559 outings before returning to Merseyside in 2017, averaging a goal nearly every two games. Rashford isn't as prolific - scoring 123 goals in 359 games - but he's just entering the peak of his striking prowess.

Rashford will need to usurp several United legends first before he can think about Rooney's record. Paul Scholes is 10th on the club's all-time scoring list, with 115 goals in 718 appearances. Mark Hughes is one spot higher with 163 goals in 467 games.

In eighth place is Ryan Giggs, who found the net 168 times during his record 963 outings for United. Legendary interwar striker Joe Spence also scored 168 goals in 510 appearances, while the late, great George Best celebrated 179 goals in 470 games.

Wayne Rooney is currently United's record scorer (Getty Images)

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Prolific forward Dennis Viollet, who survived the Munich Air Disaster in 1958, also found the net 179 times for United - but he reached that number in just 293 appearances. Another great United striker was Jack Rowley, who scored 211 goals in 424 games.

Third on the list is the iconic Denis Law, who scored 237 goals in just 404 games, but it's Sir Bobby Charlton who takes second spot. Charlton, who is the only Englishman to win the European Cup, World Cup and Ballon d'Or, scored 249 goals in 758 outings for United.

Rashford is confident of making his way up that list after benefiting from playing in the World Cup with England. He flourished at last year's tournament in Qatar, scoring three goals before entering a prolific spell of form for Ten Hag's side.

Rashford added: "When I came back from the World Cup, I felt like there was a mentality change, and I felt like I was up there with some of the best players in the world at that time.

"Before last season, I always aimed for 20 goals - a good benchmark for a winger. But this season, I’ve hit 30 - we have to try and push it now. Towards the end of the season, I was struggling with a few injuries, and I wasn’t quite at it - that’s when the goals started to dry up for a bit. If I can keep that side of it under taps, I feel like I can go on and get 35 or 40."