Manchester United fans have been making everyone in the Transfer Tavern sit up and take note of their side at the start of the Premier League season.
Jose Mourinho’s men spent vast amounts of money over the summer bringing Romelu Lukaku, Victor Lindelof, and Nemanja Matic to Old Trafford, and three victories to start the season got many Red Devils supporters standing at the bar excited about the campaign ahead.
However, they were slightly less vocal on Saturday after seeing their side draw 2-2 away at Stoke City, yet their high spirits returned in midweek after a 3-0 win over Basel in the Champions League, with Mourinho’s men making the perfect start upon their return to Europe’s biggest competition.
And although the transfer window shut almost two weeks ago now, there is still much speculation about the future of Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann, who was of course repeatedly linked with a move to Old Trafford during the close season before penning a new deal.
And recent reports suggest that United have left the number seven vacant in preparation for a £100 million deal to bring the Frenchman to Manchester.
The promise of the number seven shirt, donned in the past by the likes of Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo, could convince Griezmann away from the Spanish capital, yet here are THREE reasons why a current England star and potential United hero should get the number seven shirt ahead of the French forward…
One of their own
Who better to don the number seven of Manchester United than someone who was born in the city?
Marcus Rashford was born in Wythenshawe in the south of Manchester back in October 1997 and has been at the club since the age of seven, so he’ll know first-hand from some of the greats that have gone before him how important the number seven jersey is to the club.
And given that he has already made quite an impact at Old Trafford, in turn becoming a fans’ favourite among the United faithful, the number seven jersey has surely got his name on it.
Huge future ahead of him
Rashford’s meteoric rise from a relative unknown at the start of 2016 to a United and England regular 18 months later is nothing short of remarkable, and somewhat highlights the huge future he has ahead of him for both club and country.
The forward is just 19 years of age and has already played 77 times for the Red Devils, and although he did endure a barren run in front of goal last term, his three goals in six games this term has taken him up to 22 for United.
It’s not just that though – it’s clear that Rashford has the temperament, desire, and overall attacking instinct to go very far in the game, while his recent efforts for both United and England suggest that he is already beginning to develop into a top-class footballer.
He could well become a United hero.
Big game player
In his short time since bursting on the scene in the Europa League last year, Rashford has already proven his big match capabilities, something previous United number sevens like Eric Cantona, David Beckham, and Cristiano Ronaldo all had in their locker.
The 19-year-old of course netted twice in that Europa League clash against Midtjylland back in February last year to help Louis van Gaal’s side reach the last 16, and he has since then scored match-winning goals against Arsenal and Manchester City, while he also bagged in their 2-0 win over Chelsea last term.
And with a key goal for England in their 2018 World Cup qualifier against Slovakia last week, Rashford is clearly not overawed by the occasion, but more importantly he brings his best football to the biggest games, much like several of his number seven predecessors.
