Rooney names the player who could break his greatest record

Wayne Rooney unexpectedly expressed strong confidence in Marcus Rashford, stating that the English striker can still overtake his legendary goal tally at Manchester United.

Rooney is currently the all-time top scorer in the club's history Man United with 253 goals in 559 appearances. Meanwhile, Rashford has scored 138 goals in 426 matches, meaning the 28-year-old still needs 115 more goals to match his elder's milestone.

Despite the huge gap, Rooney believes Rashford possesses the qualities to continue the race if he can rediscover his best form. “He is the player who can break my goal record”, Rooney made a notable statement when discussing Rashford's future.

The Man United legend believes Rashford's main problem today is not his professional skills but his attitude, body language, and hunger for the game. Rooney thinks the English forward needs to show more positivity, focus on football, and seize the chance to revive his career at Old Trafford.

Rashford came through the Man United academy and was once seen as one of the club's new icons. However, recent seasons have seen his career go through many ups and downs.

The 1997-born forward was loaned to Aston Villa and then Barcelona before returning to Manchester United in the summer of 2026. During his time in Spain, Rashford made an impact with 14 goals and 11 assists, helping Barcelona win the La Liga title.

Recently, Rashford featured for about 29 minutes in Man United's friendly against AC Milan. It was his first time wearing the Red Devils' shirt again after roughly 20 months.

Nevertheless, Rooney still believes his younger teammate needs to change more. The former England captain particularly emphasized Rashford's body language and said this is something the player must improve if he wants to regain his place at Man United.

Rooney also does not wish to witness Rashford keep excelling in a different team's jersey. In his view, the 28-year-old forward has favorable conditions for a revival since manager Michael Carrick knows his abilities well.

Signals from within the club Manchester United are also quite positive. Carrick previously called Rashford “our player,” while Harry Maguire publicly expressed hope that his long-time teammate would stay at Old Trafford.

However, surpassing Rooney's record of 253 goals is certainly no easy task. Rashford needs 115 more goals and must maintain a high scoring rate over several consecutive seasons.

Yet the fact that Rooney himself still believes Rashford can break the record indicates that the door at Man United is not completely shut for the English forward. Therefore, the 2026/27 season could be a decisive turning point in whether Rashford revives at Old Trafford or continues to seek a new chapter in his career.