Marcus Rashford has sent a two-word message to Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel on social media, offering a glimpse of his mentoring role at the club.
Responding to the teenager's Instagram post, Rashford commented: “The future,” accompanied by a saluting emoji and a heart emoji.
Rashford's United Future
Rashford's own future at Old Trafford remains uncertain. After an impressive loan spell with Barcelona last season, the forward had looked set to make that switch permanent, but the La Liga club opted to go in a different direction.
As a result, Rashford has remained at United for now and came off the bench during last weekend's defeat to Hull City. With the transfer clock ticking, there is a growing expectation that he could stay at the club beyond the summer window.
Valuable Experience for Young Talent
Keeping Rashford would benefit United in several ways. Their depth on the left-hand side is thin, with Patrick Dorgu starting the Hull match as left-winger before being hooked at half-time following a disappointing display.
Rashford's experience could also help guide the club's younger players. In his own social media post this week, the academy graduate shared a photo captioned “Old Trafford next,” indicating his focus on United's weekend clash with Ipswich Town ahead of the 11pm transfer deadline on Tuesday.
Manager's Praise and Upcoming Fixtures
Michael Carrick has previously expressed delight at having Rashford back in the fold, saying: “It's been pretty obvious since Marcus came back training with Kobbie [Mainoo] and Licha [Martinez] pretty much in Dublin that he's come back fantastically well, you know. He's enjoying his football, he looks fit, he looks sharp, he looks strong, he looks ready to play football. So I've been delighted with him since he's came back.”
Whether Rashford plays a bigger role against Ipswich than he did against Hull remains to be seen. After that, United face a visit to Everton in their third match of the season, before returning to Old Trafford to host rivals Manchester City.
