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.
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.
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.
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