Rashford still looked every inch a kid as he emerged from the tunnel that night. The number 39 on the back of a kit that hung off his slight frame, you wondered whether this was a case of Van Gaal - as he made a habit of during his spell at Old Trafford - throwing in another unprepared academy player who would soon fade into obscurity. It took just 12 second-half minutes to confirm this lad was different.
Rashford scored twice in a 5-1 victory, his face after each goal betraying the fact he could scarcely believe what was happening to him. He did it again that weekend against Arsenal, and suddenly a star was born. Back then, United had not yet been fully immersed in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson malaise which now seems to have infiltrated every inch of the club. There was still tangible hope that his departure was accompanied by a natural, yet extended, hangover, and not the spectacular fall from grace which has now spanned over a decade.
The emergence of Rashford - an academy graduate, local boy, and lifelong United fan - could have been the trigger point for a revival. Everything about him reflected what the club had been about during those long years of success. Giggs, Beckham, Scholes - there were homegrown heroes behind every title win, every moment of seemingly un-scriptable drama that seemed to follow the club. Rashford, supremely talented and fully immersed in all things United, should have been the heir apparent to lead a new era.
But his public admission this week that he is 'ready for a new challenge' looks like confirming what becomes of that homegrown hero in times of strife. A rare talent reared by the club for so many years, and a constant throughout the years of struggle, there was an inevitability that Rashford would find himself being scrutinised more than others. Just ask Beckham. Rashford further made his name eight years ago with a joyous goal in his Manchester derby debut, embarrassing veteran defender Martin Demichelis with youthful fearlessness en-route to finding the back of the net. On Sunday, despite being fit and available for selection, new manager Ruben Amorim discarded him from his squad altogether for the very same fixture.
“We try to evaluate training performance, game performances, engagement with teammates," said the Portuguese, who also dropped Alejandro Garnacho, another academy star. "I pay attention to the way you eat, the way you put your clothes to go to a game.”
It was frustratingly vague, but Amorim was never going to fully air any dirty laundry in public. His comments, however, were indicative enough of issues lingering behind the scenes. Perhaps wishing not to diminish any potential transfer value, the manager has since said he wants Rashford to stay at United. But several reports across various English media outlets have stated Amorim is willing to let him go. Rashford's public announcement suggests the feeling is mutual.
It's been a long road for Rashford to reach this point. It's been observed that there is no obvious place for him in Amorim's 3-4-3 system, which deploys dual number 10s in the attacking line, not out-and-out wingers. Rashford can play as a central striker, though it's not his preferred role. The conditions emerging for his seemingly inevitable departure go far beyond finding himself a square peg for round holes. There's long been a sense that Rashford has, to an unconfirmed extent, become disengaged with life at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag dropped and disciplined him for oversleeping and missing a team meeting last season, and there has been persistent scrutiny of the lifestyle he leads off the pitch. Some of that has felt excessive, with the same standard not applied to others of a similar profile. And yet images of Rashford in a Belfast nightclub circulating after he had called in sick for training were an alarming indicator that the player-club relationship was fraying. His form has dipped sharply from a career-high 30 goals in 2022/23. He has found the net just 11 times in the Premier League since then. Now 27, Rashford is more than old enough to take responsibility for his own choices. Look at United over the last couple of years in particular, though, and it's probably no great surprise that disillusionment has festered.
With constant churn of manager and players, a toxic environment behind the scenes, spiralling resentment among supporters, United have not offered anything like the ideal platform for a player entering his peak years. It's long been known that Old Trafford has become a career graveyard for incoming talent on an upward trajectory. From Paul Pogba to Jadon Sancho, very few have joined United in recent times and truly fulfilled their potential. It would be naive, then, to assume that the same affliction would spare those who had been engrained in the club for most of their lives. As a supporter since childhood, Rashford will, more than most, have felt the emotional impact of every loss, every humiliation, every rival lifting trophies that were once United's. That's not to say he has not made mistakes, clear he has. But he has become one of those high-profile players around whom the discourse is disproportionately toxic.
In 2020, he embarked on a successful campaign to convince the UK Government not to scrap free school meals for children during the Covid-19 lockdown, ensuring continued access for 1.3 million vulnerable kids. Rashford will have known full well it was a move that would further thrust into the media spotlight, within which he would always be judged more harshly in some quarters. I can't remember him ever being such a lightning rod for criticism before then. Maybe it's the ever-increasing toxicity of social media, maybe it's that homegrown players always seem to take greater flak at their clubs, maybe it was indeed that decision to put his head above the parapet four years ago, for which he so often been told 'stick to football'.
If you've read this far and are no closer to landing on a definitive reason why it looks to be over for Rashford, it's probably because there isn't one. A multitude of factors, some of his own making, some not, have combined to bring a disheartening end to what could have been an illustrious career for Rashford at the club he loves. The noises suggest, though, that a departure would be best for all parties at this stage.
Given what felt possible when Rashford burst onto the scene, that might just be the saddest thing of all.