Former Manchester United colleagues and people connected to Marcus Rashford‘s time at Old Trafford have come forward with praise, adoration, and a renewed appreciation of his skills following his two-goal masterclass for Barcelona in their 2-1 Champions League victory over Newcastle.
Bruno Fernandes, who captained Manchester United during much of Rashford’s time there, was among the first to respond. The midfielder reposted Rashford’s long-range second goal on his Instagram story with a string of shocked-face emojis, a gesture widely viewed as signifying respect and perhaps a tinge of retrospective humility over the way Rashford’s United exit unfolded.
Other former teammates from the so-called “bomb squad” — players excluded from first-team plans at United under manager Ruben Amorim — also voiced their support. Jadon Sancho posted an Instagram Story featuring Rashford’s goal, while Antony and Alejandro Garnacho left comments under Rashford’s social media posts. Even Rasmus Højlund, now on loan at Napoli, chimed in: “Well done Marcus.
Former England midfielder Joe Cole although not a United teammate in the strictest sense, but certainly someone who has followed Rashford’s career closely and played alongside him in England squads delivered one of the more effusive public endorsements. Cole remarked that because of this display, he “could get into any team in the world,” noting how night-like this felt compared to fewer high-output performances in recent seasons.
Another voice was Nicky Butt, a United legend and former United midfielder, who suggested that many had forgotten just how good he is. Speaking on BBC, Butt said he believed Rashford showed he “still has elite qualities” and argued that when a player isn’t backed or feels unloved, performance can suffer but that Rasford’s display against Newcastle should remind people of his true level. He also speculated that his former manager might be reflecting on having let a talent like his go.
Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo, though not a former United teammate, also added perspective from within Rashford’s new setting. He noted that he “does the same thing in training,” saying that the performance was not a surprise to his teammates. Araujo praised his quality and consistency in both practice and match situations.
These reactions carry more than just social media applause; they reflect deeper themes around Rashford’s career arc a period of struggle, criticism, being out of favor, and now renewal. Former teammates appear both impressed and somewhat vindicated, seeing in his brace not just goals, but a resurgence of confidence and elite finishing ability.
Many of the responses hint at regret perhaps in hindsight over how he was treated at United, particularly under the earlier management regime, and about how much selfishness or mismanagement might have played a role. But predominantly, the tone is one of genuine praise: that he responded to adversity, found form, and reminded everyone of what he can do at his best.
