Premier League

Wayne Rooney reveals he used Marcus Rashford’s Man Utd success story to inspire Derby to Championship safety

Published

10th May 2021

WAYNE ROONEY guided Derby to Championship safety on the final day of the season – and he used Marcus Rashford’s success story to help him do that.

The Rams drew 3-3 with Sheffield Wednesday to see them avoid the drop to League One by a single point.

Wayne Rooney has revealed he used Marcus Rashford’s rise to the top in his derby teamtalk to inspire his players

Rashford has worked his way through the Man Utd youth teams to become a first-team regular and England star

It was Wednesday, Wycombe and Rotherham who instead went down.

In a revealing interview alongside Rashford on Rio Ferdinand’s Between The Lines, Derby boss Rooney revealed he used Rashford’s rise to the top to inspire his players.

The 35-year-old explained: “Marcus’ story from getting in the first team I actually used it a couple of weeks ago.

“We’ve had injuries at Derby, and I put a few of the young lads on the bench who hadn’t even trained with us so I used Marcus’ story from that.

“Marcus came in from nowhere, didn’t really train with us, come in, and impact and look where’s he’s gone on from that.

“So for those players to try and follow in those footsteps when you get that chance, it’s up to you then to take it, and he’s certainly done that.”

In the BT Sport special, the three Manchester United players past and present chatted about Rashford’s rise from schoolboy talent to England superstar.

And Ferdinand remembers well when Rashford was just starting to make people sit up and take notice in the academy.

How the May calendar looks for both Manchester United and Liverpool as it stands

Rashford scored twice on his Man Utd debut against FC Midtjylland in 2016

Rio Ferdinand hosted an interview with Marcus Rashford and Wayne Rooney

The three players chatted through Rooney and Rashford’s career

He added: “I remember when we were in the training ground, and we would all eat in the same canteen, first team, young lads and school boys.

“And you used to come in, I’d see you in your school uniform, baggy blazer down to your knees, and you did stand out to me.

“Although you were small you had an assuredness about you, you weren’t too shy but you weren’t too cocky. There was a calmness about you.

“I used to ask people, ‘what’s he like?’. [They’d reply] ‘he’s got a talent’.”

Rashford made his full debut for United in a 5-1 win against Midttjylland on February 25, 2016, scoring twice.

He made his Premier League debut three days later against Arsenal scoring two and assisting another in a 3-2 victory.

He has made 267 appearances in total, scoring 87 goals.

Watch Man Utd v Leicester City exclusively live on BT Sport 1 from 5.30pm on Tuesday 11 May. Sign up for BT Sport Monthly Pass to watch BT Sport for a simple monthly fee of £25 with no contract. For more info go to bt.com/sport

Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds