The Arsenal man that Man United fans should be thanking for Marcus Rashford’s rise to the top

bruno fernandes marcus rashford

All footballers tend to model themselves on their peers, and in that respect, Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford is no different.

The striker has been an example to everyone with his exploits both on and off the pitch over the last year, but he has looked up to one particular Arsenal legend and the way in which he played the game during his star-studded career.

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“He (Thierry Henry) was someone that I paid close detail to and he is just a wonderful footballer,” Rashford was quoted as saying by the Daily Star.

“He really knows his football as well, so I still listen to his interviews and the way he speaks about finishing.

“When I was about 16 or 17, when I first started to play in that No?9 role, Henry was someone that I looked at because he is not a traditional No?9.

“He is someone that drifts to the left, he does things with the ball – he is just not what you would consider the traditional striker in English football.”

There are obvious similarities between the pair aside from their goal scoring.

For example, he way that Rashford drifts in off of the wing at pace is very reminiscent of Henry in his pomp at Highbury.

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Though he’s not quite at the Frenchman’s level yet, there’s plenty of time for the England international to tweak the elements of his natural game as needed.

Who knows… by the end of his United career, he might become as lauded as his contemporary and no one could say it wasn’t deserved.