MANCHESTER: Marcus Rashford has been given a new shirt number after rejoining Manchester United, a development that could provide a clue to his future at the club.
Rashford was previously expected to have played his last game with United after being ousted from his boyhood club by Ruben Amorim in December 2024.
After loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona, the England striker was expected to join the Spanish giants on a permanent basis, but Barcelona chose not to activate his £26 million buyout clause.
The situation has left Rashford, 29, in limbo, with only a handful of clubs showing interest in him, while United are reportedly reluctant to give him a second chance.
After playing at the World Cup, Rashford finally returned to training on Sunday, rejoining the Red Devils squad for the first time in more than 18 months.
He looked cheerful as he took photos with supporters and accepted requests to sign autographs.
United manager Michael Carrick confirmed Rashford will be in the squad for the final two pre-season friendlies.
“We will have a full squad next week in Dublin.
“We flew straight there and met Leeds on Wednesday. We had a few days in Dublin with the whole squad, including Marcus, Kobbie [Mainoo] and Lisandro [Martinez].
“I’ve played with him before. I was in the game when he made his debut, so we have history,” said Carrick.
While it has not been confirmed that Rashford will remain a United player this season, the club have hinted that he could be in the pipeline after giving him a new shirt number.
The striker was unable to return to wearing his beloved number 10 jersey after the number was given to Matheus Cunha upon his arrival from Wolves last summer.
In fact, the numbers 19 and 39 that Rashford once wore now belong to new players, Bryan Mbeumo and Tyler Fletcher.
However, according to Fabrizio Romano, Rashford will now wear the number 14 jersey, the number he used when at Barcelona and which is usually given to important first-team players.
At United, the number 14 jersey has previously been worn by Christian Eriksen, Jesse Lingard and Javier Hernandez.
United are said to have chosen the number as a message of confidence in Rashford and a sign that he will be reintegrated into the first-team at Old Trafford, unless an agreement can be reached with another club.
Several clubs from Turkey and Saudi Arabia have contacted Rashford, but he wants to play for a top European club to ensure his chances of remaining in the England squad.
Rashford has also been linked with Arsenal and Tottenham, but recent developments suggest he could return to his boyhood club this season.