The signing of Marcus Rashford from Manchester United for the 2025/26 season is now official and the 27-year-old English player has already crossed paths with a number of figures with Barça links over his career.

Van Gaal the coach who gave him his debut

Born on 31 October 1997, Rashford scored a brace for Manchester United on his Premier League debut under coach Louis Van Gaal, who is also remembered for giving debuts to players such as Víctor Valdés, Carles Puyol and Andrés Iniesta at Barça. Rashford's next coach at Manchester United was José Mourinho, who also spent time with the blaugranes.

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Former blaugrana players

Rashford's ties to Barça go beyond the coaching benches, as the English player has shared a dressing room with several former blaugrana players. In his second season in the Manchester United first team, the forward played alongside Víctor Valdés and Memphis Depay. Memphis Depay was still there the following season, before Zlatan Ibrahimović joined him in attack for the reds during the 2017/18 season, while Chilean Alexis Sánchez was there for the 2018/19 season.

Rashford was also alongside former La Masia keeper André Onana from 2023, before going on to the share a dressing room with Frenchman Lucas Digne at Aston Villa last season.

Four games against Barça

Marcus Rashford has faced FC Barcelona four times. In the 2018/19 season, Manchester United and Barça crossed paths in the Champions League quarterfinals, the blaugranes running out 0-1 winners at Old Trafford and 3-0 winners at the Spotify Camp Nou. Rashford started both games.

There was another clash in the 2022/23 season, this time in the Europa League, to go through to the last 16. The English forward showed all his talent, putting in a fine performance, including scoring a goal and providing an assist in Barcelona (2-2). The return leg saw Rashford and co get the win in Manchester and seal passage to the last 16.

 

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