REUTERS/Jon Super
For all the world, it looked as though Marcus Rashford's Manchester United journey was going to come to an end this summer.
The England international had just enjoyed a LaLiga winning campaign on loan at Barcelona, scoring 14 goals and registering 11 assists in all competitions.
Rashford wanted to re-join Barca but they turned down their option to buy the player. Anthony Gordon was preferred instead. With four assists in his first four games, that decision would appear to be vindicated.
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Still, with that move to the Camp Nou denied, it still didn't look as though the 28-year-old would have a future at Old Trafford. Well, think again.
Rashford is now back in the picture and he already looks like one of their most important players.
How Rashford performed against Everton
Well, isn't this a turn up for the books? Rashford is back in United red and he's dazzling just like the days of old.
United fans were understandably concerned about all of the drama the forward could bring, the pantomime that follows him around. Yet, for the time being, he is simply letting his football do the talking.
REUTERS/Phil Noble
Rashford has not scored or assisted since returning to the north west of England but judging by his performances, it surely will not be too long before he's back among the goals.
He played just 45 minutes in that shocking defeat away at Hull, before playing 80 against Ipswich and then being withdrawn on 70 minutes against Everton.
In that match on Merseyside, the winger delivered his finest performance since returning. It was full of gusto, full of running, full of energy. All that was missing was a goal.
The former Barca loanee completed three of his five dribbles. That was the second best tally of any player on the field. Only Everton's Tyrique George (4) managed more.
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Marcus Rashford vs Everton
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Only George and teammate Merlin Rohl were fouled more times (3) than Rashford (2). No other player recorded more sprints (17) than the academy graduate either.
So, it would appear that he is edging closer to finding his best form. Whether or not he'll be able to replicate that staggering 30-goal campaign of 2022/23 remains to be seen but there is no doubt he will be an important player this term.
Where is Man Utd's next Rashford coming from?
Man United's academy streak is one of the most remarkable facts in football. Since October 1937, they have had an academy graduate in every single matchday squad.
It's a run that spans over 4000 matches and with Kobbie Mainoo and Rashford at the forefront of Michael Carrick's plans, it does not look like it'll be coming to an end anytime soon.
REUTERS/Scott Heppell
However, who's next in line? Well, much has been made of the likes of Harry Amass and Shea Lacey in recent years but the darling of the academy crop right now is undoubtedly JJ Gabriel.
You've surely all heard the name by now and that's because he's one of the finest young talents in football right now. Aged just 15, he has been celebrated as "one of the most exciting talents in the world" by the Manchester Evening News' Steven Railston and as "the best young English talent since Wayne Rooney" by journalist Oliver Holt.
That's a lot of hype for such a young kid but he has only embraced that so far. Gabriel has not made a senior appearance in competitive action just yet but he did get a chance over pre-season. It was a little glimpse of the future for a teenager who will surely get a look in at some point this season.
He's earning as much hype as Arsenal's Max Dowman and there are several reasons for that. Cut from a similar cloth as Rashford with the ability to play as a striker or out wide, he enjoyed a remarakbly strong 2025/26 campaign.
Gabriel scored 23 goals in 23 games in the U18 Premier League and netted a further three times in six FA Youth Cup games. He's a rampant goalscorer but he's also full of flair and trickery.
With two goals in two Premier League 2 matches this season for the U21s, he already looks like one of the best players at that age group too.
He ranks among the finest 5% of positionally similar players in that league this season for chances created per 90 minutes with 3.75 while the youngster also draws 3.75 fouls per 90, enough to rank him among the best 6% of forwards at that level for that metric.
The teen is a captivating player in full flow. He has immense technique, he's impossible to get the ball off in tight situations. In that regard, he's a bit different to Rashford but with that positional versatility and the ability to score regular goals, there are comparisons to be made there.
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At 15, it seems crazy to suggest Carrick should unleash Gabriel in the first-team this season but as Dowman proved at Arsenal last term, becoming the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history, age is just a number.
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