Rashford Takes Man Utd No9 as Carrick Begins Era at Hull

Manchester United have nailed their colours to the mast before a ball is kicked in the new Premier League season. Marcus Rashford is the club’s new No9.

The England forward has been given the shirt ahead of Saturday’s opener away to newly-promoted Hull, a move that underlines United’s intention to keep him at Old Trafford beyond the summer transfer deadline on September 1.

Only a few months ago, his United future looked finished. His old No10 shirt went to Matheus Cunha when the Brazilian arrived from Wolves last summer, while Rashford was shipped out on loan to Barcelona after a spell at Aston Villa, frozen out under former manager Ruben Amorim and apparently heading for the exit.

On the matchday programme at the MKM Stadium, Rashford had initially been listed without a squad number. By kick-off, the picture was very different: Michael Carrick’s first Premier League game as permanent manager will feature Rashford carrying the most scrutinised shirt in the squad.

The No9 had been vacant since Rasmus Hojlund’s departure. The Danish striker spent last season on loan at Napoli before making that move permanent earlier in the summer, freeing up a number steeped in United history.

Rashford has already had a taste of it. He wore No9 in last weekend’s final pre-season friendly, a 4-2 defeat to Amorim’s AC Milan at the Wroclaw Stadium, his first appearance for United since December 2024.

It is a shirt with a heavy lineage. Anthony Martial had it before Hojlund. Before that, Romelu Lukaku, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Radamel Falcao, Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez and Louis Saha all carried the burden and the expectation.

There had been talk that Benjamin Sesko might inherit the number this season, but he has chosen to stick with No30.

Around Rashford, the rest of the squad is being reshaped. New signings Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow will wear 17, 18 and 12 respectively. Teenage forward JJ Gabriel, just 15, has been handed No77, while fellow prospect Shea Lacey switches to 31.

Rashford’s apparent reset at United follows Barcelona’s decision in June not to trigger their £26m option to make his season-long loan permanent. The Catalan club instead moved for other targets, including his England team-mate Anthony Gordon from Newcastle.

The 28-year-old previously had a clause allowing any club outside Liverpool and Manchester City to sign him for £40m, but that provision has now expired. He is believed to earn around £325,000 a week at Old Trafford and is understood to favour staying at United rather than joining another Premier League side, with his focus on impressing Carrick, his former team-mate and now permanent boss.

The noise around him has not gone away. This week Jamie Carragher publicly responded to Gary Neville’s latest comments about Rashford on the Stick to Football podcast. Rashford then posted on social media: “Thanks, Jamie. It would be great to be able to get my head down and play football without my name being mentioned every day.”

Carrick, speaking to TNT Sports before the Hull clash, played down any grand symbolism in the shirt call but made his stance on the player clear.

“I don't think that suggests any more than what the situation is,” he said. “We're delighted to have Marcus back. He's looked fit, sharp and in a really good place. He offers us an awful lot so for sure we are delighted to have him.”

A new manager, a reclaimed role, a famous number on his back. Rashford’s United story, once seemingly closed, suddenly has another chapter to write.