Mirror
Marcus Rashford has long harboured ambitions of leading the line as Manchester United’s No.9 – and he could get the chance to stake a claim in his favoured spot after making his feelings clear to Erik ten Hag.
According to reports, Rashford was deployed in a central attacking role against Liverpool after reiterating his desire to be played down the middle during a meeting last week where United players were given the platform to air any grievances.
As outlined by The Sun, Ten Hag responded to Rashford by pledging to give him a chance in the coveted No.9 spot – and his decision to do so was immediately vindicated by the United academy graduate, who plundered the decisive goal in a 2-1 win to cap an electric individual performance.
Given Rashford’s impact, it seems likely that Ten Hag will be true to his word and give the 24-year-old an opportunity to stake a claim for a central role in the coming weeks.
But Ten Hag’s stance is different to that of former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, who previously warned that Rashford does not have the credentials to play as a No.9 in a team that intends to play on the front foot; one of Ten Hag’s hallmarks.
Speaking back in 2019, Mourinho said: “I am not going to say he cannot ever be a number nine, he can be a dangerous number nine especially if the…
