Rashford is gearing up for a full comeback after a disappointing 2021/22 season

Despite a horrible 2021/22 season, the homegrown attacker is determined to make a fresh start under new boss Erik ten Hag.

One player, in particular, offered optimism for a better future while taking a break from feeding kids off the field like everything else around him burned and Manchester United lurched from one calamity to the next in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

But it would be an understatement to suggest that Marcus Rashford‘s situation has gotten significantly worse over the past 12 months.

Rashford struck rock bottom, but no other United player—with the possible exception of Cristiano Ronaldo and David de Gea—can look themselves in the mirror and declare with any real authority that they gave it their all last season.

His own people turned against him because they believed the once-homegrown star represented an uninspired and disinterested United team.

Rashford, who is approaching his 25th birthday, is aware that this season might be his final opportunity to prove he has what it takes to lead a United revival, but rather than wallow in self-pity, insiders have told The National that Rashford has chosen to take matters into his own hands.

Since making his Premier League debut with two goals against Arsenal in 2016, Rashford has struggled with consistency.

A large chunk of that could be attributed to the fact that different managers have tried him out in various front three positions, and his development has also been impeded by a number of injury issues.

Rashford was ready to finally reach the potential his fellow Mancunians had seen from a young age after returning from shoulder surgery with three goals in four games in October, but things swiftly fell apart once more as he could only manage two more goals for the remainder of the season.

Rashford has seen how terrible things can get from last season. Both the player and the club needed to start over. The hometown hero must now establish his worth or risk the happy conclusion of the story occurring outside of his beloved city.