Marcus Rashford’s winner in the Manchester derby meant that he has scored in nine consecutive home games, equaling Dennis Viollet’s record from 1959. Rashford is a local lad who understands the weight of the red shirt and what it means to fans from around the world. He wears the #10, last worn by United’s highest ever goal scorer Wayne Rooney. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that Rashford may wrest that record too in due time.

What is he doing differently? Rashford’s attacking numbers – especially in the box – have gone up significantly this season. He is averaging 0.47 goals per 90 this season, which is the highest it has ever been. More than 50% of his goals in the Premier League have been winners, which is the highest proportion for anyone with over 50 league goals. In contrast to Rashford’s previous best spell – the first half of the 2019/20 season – the team’s attack is not structured towards feeding just one player. Rashford is thriving in a team that does not depend exclusively on him.

Box presence is another aspect at which there is marked improvement. Almost 80% of the forward’s shots this season have come from inside the box as opposed to just over 50% in 19/20. Taking more shots closer to goal is one of the simplest ways to improve conversion rate.

Rashford also uses his body to his advantage much more than he has been able to in previous seasons. He spent the summer break in the US. Work was done on marginal gains at the Nike HQ in Portland such as how certain leg movements were cutting a tenth of second from his sprint speed and on improving peripheral vision.  He also worked with a college team in New Jersey on specific drills and set-piece delivery.

The story of Rashford’s reset is one of resilience, hard work, and commitment to a team he has rooted for all his life. Marcus Rashford is showing up for Manchester United like never before and United fans will hope they can relish their local boy being the face of their club for years to come.