Marcus Rashford's Man Utd debut: The making of the now on-loan Barcelona star's dream start at Old Trafford 10 years on

"Watch yourself now. Enjoy it but you're going to get a lot of media attention; everyone's going to know you. You've gone from no one knowing who you are to a potential superstar..."

Those were the words Michael Carrick gave Marcus Rashford 10 years ago after his dream start to life at Manchester United.

In two matches three days apart, a slight, fresh-faced 18-year-old from Wythenshawe saw his life change forever, with four goals that propelled a career into the blinding glare of hopeful superstardom.

There are fairytales and then there's the story of Rashford's debut. Everything fell into place, the sliding doors moved seamlessly to allow for a career worth over 400 senior United appearances, 68 England caps, along with more than 150 goals for both club and country.

Starting with that Europa League night against Midtjylland before a Premier League classic against Arsenal, Rashford not only lived the dream but became the dream.

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Rooney out, Martial injured... What next?

The lore is well-worn. United were in the midst of an injury crisis in forward areas ahead of a crunch round of 32 tie against Midtjylland.

Having been embarrassed in Denmark, United had to save face at Old Trafford but captain Wayne Rooney was out with an injury. Anthony Martial was next to fall injured, this time minutes before kick off. Then-boss Louis van Gaal had a decision to make with little time to think - but for the Dutch manager it wasn't a difficult one.

"We came back into the locker room, and the assistants were coming up with all kinds of solutions, except for Marcus," Frans Hoek, a key part of Van Gaal's coaching staff at the time, reveals to Sky Sports.

"They were saying, 'Okay, if we do this, then this player can be there and blah blah blah.' The normal discussions that you have when something happens like that.

"And then, when everybody had said what they had to say, Louis said, 'We don't change anything. Marcus goes in. Marcus deserves it. Marcus is doing a good job. He is improving. He is young and I believe in that.' That was the moment."

Van Gaal was resting his hopes on someone whose only experience in the first team up to that point was a bench appearance at Watford a few months prior.

"All credit to Louis because he was never afraid to put young players in," Hoek adds.

"He did the same at Ajax, at Barcelona, at Bayern Munich and with the national team. For him, if they are good enough, then they are old enough. It is simple.

"And he definitely was not afraid to replace people who had certain reputations if he felt it was the best for the team.

"A coach like Louis does not get influenced. He just has his eyes and his way of thinking. He put in Andres Iniesta, he put in Xavi. He put in so many of them.

"If you are objective as a coach and not influenced by everything that happens around football, I think you make these kinds of decisions faster."

'In the academy, Rashford could do anything he wanted with a football'

From the outside, it was a surprise. 'Who on earth is this kid?' Those in the stands uttered amid the late change. But for those closer to Rashford, through his time in the academy, could tell he had been marked early on to impact the first team.

"He was the guy!" James Weir, who played with Rashford in the United Academy.

"He was two years younger and I knew his name, whereas I couldn't name any other person in his age group.

"I think they can tell technically, and they know when they're going to fill out. He had two older brothers who were quite big as well and tall. So, they probably expected him to grow and fill into his body.

"But technically, he was pretty superior. The first time I played with him was probably in one of the reserve games, like under-21s or 23s and he was, jumping ahead of people a couple of years above him, just because he was that good.

"He was always. I remember, even in digs, we'd be playing football with a balloon, and he'd be doing, around the worlds. It's actually harder to do it with a balloon than it is with a normal football.

"He could do anything he wanted with a football, even doing keepy-ups with a tennis ball. Most people are lucky to do four or five; he's consistently doing it."

Recollections of Rashford's first training session with the first team have lived with former team-mate and current Melbourne Victory midfielder, Juan Mata for the past decade.

"I have a vivid memory of that day, he was playing on the right wing," Mata says.

"He was quite thin and quick. He was quite shy off the pitch but he was brave on the pitch, and that was nice to see. You could see he was already taking people one against one, going behind. Very quick, very speedy.

"At the end of the session, I was talking with Ander Herrera and he was telling me, 'did you see this kid? I think he's going to be a great player'.

"Ander really saw it since the beginning and I remember he told me that day, he's going to bring us a lot and I said, 'Well, wait, it's too early, he only trained with us once'... Ander was not wrong."

Mata set up Rashford's first-ever professional goal, opening the floodgates.

"You could see how happy he was, his family in the stands, it meant a lot for him," Mata recalls.

"So it was the start of something really nice for him and a very nice start to a good week. I still remember celebrating with him and seeing how this kid from Manchester was fulfilling his dream and it was very nice to see how happy he was and how much he deserved it."

The Arsenal game that followed United's 5-1 win over Midtjylland and it was a special day for the United Academy.

Alongside Rashford's Premier League debut, Timothy Fosu-Mensah earned his first stripes and so did Weir as United beat the Gunners 3-2 at Old Trafford.

Replacing Herrera in injury time meant that Weir watched from the dugout as Rashford continued to do the remarkable, playing a part in all three goals.

"I remember when he banged that first goal in, like, you're not surprised, because he has that, you've seen it in training, you've seen it in the academy, you've seen it in the reserves, he's got the quality. I've seen it in the back garden!

"I remember him being buzzing and obviously, everyone around the club was buzzing for him, because that's what it's about, getting youth team players into the first team."

'He was a kid and a man who gave everything to Man Utd' - Mata

Rashford didn't slow down from then on. He went on to play an instrumental role as United won the FA Cup that season.

England and Roy Hodgson couldn't ignore the prodigy either, as his first call-up and debut goal came three months later. Rashford then earned a spot in the Three Lions squad for the 2016 Euros, where he would make two appearances.

Now, after a difficult spell, before back-to-back loans at Aston Villa and now at Barcelona, Rashford's time at Old Trafford looks to be moving towards a permanent end, with a divorce seemingly the best option for both parties. But there's a consensus that he wrote a beautiful story at United.

"It's not easy to handle with all the expectations and the pressure at the club like Man Utd but I think people will realise that he was a kid and he was a man who gave everything for the club he supported since he was a kid," Mata says.

"You can see photos of him when he was almost a baby with a Man Utd shirt on. So it meant a lot for him to play for Man Utd. You could see that. I think he gave great moments and great memories for many fans. Of course, there were also some challenging times but I think they made him more mature and a stronger man.

"Nobody has an easy career. It doesn't matter how successful you have been. There are always challenges and he had that at the club. But he's now in a new chapter. He went to Barcelona, which is one of the best teams in the world and he's performing there. He's showing his level. I'm very happy for him that he's able to try and prove his level in different countries."

Hoek, who also has a storied coaching history with Barcelona, shares Mata's sentiment. Rashford has scored 10 goals and assisted 13 in 34 games at Barcelona.

"Rashford was an easy guy to work with," Hoek says.

"Hardworking and not complaining. Of course, when they start their career, it is different but I have followed his career from United to Barcelona and he is doing some great things there.

"I think that he has lived up to the expectations that were there at Barcelona. I think it is a fantastic experience for him in that league, away from United, away from the Premier League. I think it has only been very positive for him."

Weir, though, still has hopes that the Rashford story at United has not yet seen its conclusion.

"I'd love him to win LaLiga this year, the Champions League," Weir says

"Go and do that, and then he's done it. But I'd love him to come back to United.

"I think he'd look back in when he's 40 and think, I left the chapter of my career there. He is some player. Hopefully, he gets to the World Cup and does well there. Then if United do get Champions League, it's made for him.

"I think it depends a lot on the manager who comes in at United, but obviously, the club is growing now, for sure, and he's a fantastic player, so he'd definitely add something to that Man United squad."

The beginning was picture-book, a true video-game-like storyline to becoming a superstar. The future of Rashford's career may be uncertain but there will be no forgetting the fresh-faced 18-year-old from Wythenshawe who lived and became the dream.

(c) Sky Sports 2026: Marcus Rashford's Man Utd debut: The making of the now on-loan Barcelona star's dream start at Old Trafford 10 years on