Harry Maguire on Marcus Rashford's Manchester United Comeback

Harry Maguire believes Marcus Rashford is ready to reshape his Manchester United story – and do it quickly.

The forward made his first Premier League start for the club in 21 months in the 5-2 win over Ipswich at Old Trafford, a chaotic, breathless game in which Rashford looked like himself again: direct, dangerous, constantly asking questions of defenders.

Not long ago, it looked like his United chapter was closing. A breakdown in relations with former manager Ruben Amorim pushed him out on loan, first to Aston Villa, then to Barcelona. The Catalan club had a £26m option to buy and, for a while, it felt like Rashford might never come back.

They passed. The window closes on Tuesday night and, barring a late twist, Rashford will stay at the club he grew up in.

Maguire is happy about that.

"He's a great talent," the centre-back said. "He's always a threat.

"If Marcus wants to be here, wants to work, wants to improve and help the team, of course we're willing to have him in the team.

"He could still do a lot more and I think he'll say he can do more but if we keep him fit, we keep him happy, he keeps driven and hungry, he's a great asset to have."

The words matter because of what Rashford has lived through. The noise around him has been relentless, stretching back to Erik ten Hag’s time in charge. His work-rate has been pulled apart. His commitment questioned. At times, people have even wondered if he still enjoys football.

Time away changed the picture. Under Unai Emery at Villa and Hansi Flick at Barcelona, Rashford found different voices, different demands. By the time he returned, he was walking back into a dressing room led by Michael Carrick, a head coach who knows him as a person as well as a player. Inside the club, that familiarity is seen as a crucial edge.

"You've got to remember Marcus has had a wonderful career for this club," Maguire said.

"But when you play at this club for numerous years, there's going to be bad seasons, and when the bad seasons come everyone piles on you. That's part and parcel of playing for this club.

"As a club, we haven't been perfect from top to bottom. We haven't been challenging at the top end. So, Marcus has been part of a rough ride for Manchester United.

"When that happens, players get dug out. I've been through it."

Maguire knows exactly what that feels like. He lost his starting place and the captaincy under Ten Hag and, for a spell, also looked certain to leave. He stayed, fought his way back, and now speaks about Rashford with the conviction of someone who has survived the storm.

"He's come back in, really fit and sharp and we're excited to have him."

Carrick has described Rashford as feeling like a new signing, a fresh weapon for a squad that has needed one. But the United manager has another restoration project on his hands.

Kobbie Mainoo, the midfielder Carrick revitalised after Amorim repeatedly overlooked him, now needs lifting again after a bruising international experience. England boss Thomas Tuchel took him to the World Cup and then left him unused, a decision that hit the youngster hard.

Mainoo started his first game of the season against Ipswich and, after United fell behind, slowly took control of his part of the pitch. The early rust faded. His influence grew.

"I thought he was brilliant," Maguire said.

"To say he hasn't had many minutes in pre-season, he was magnificent.

"His work without the ball has improved so much since Michael's been in. He's becoming a real monster in there, wins a lot of second balls and a lot of duels.

"The thing is he's so young. If we want him to play for this club for another 10 years, there's going to be times where he's going to go through a patch like I spoke about with Rashy and myself.

"But that's part and parcel. He's really level-headed, really composed and has great belief in his ability.

"He's going to be a magnificent player for this club for many years."

Between Rashford, fighting to reclaim his status, and Mainoo, just starting to build his, United’s season suddenly feels like it hinges on how quickly two very different careers can hit their next gear.