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RASHFORD GIVEN MAN.UTD NO.10 SHIRT

https://soccerdice.blogspot.com/2018/08/man-united-might-have-anounced-their.html

Marcus Rashford has received the number 10 shirt for Manchester United's friendly against Bayern Munich.

Rashford, who has returned from his post-World Cup break to start at the Allianz Arena, could be about to have his squad number bumped up for a second time by Jose Mourinho.


Mourinho gave Rashford the number 19 in 2016 after the 20-year-old began his United career with the number 39 under Louis van Gaal. Van Gaal felt strikers should have the traditional centre forward number on their back but Rashford was not an out-and-out striker at academy level.

Although United are yet to confirm their squad numbers for the new campaign, Rashford's switch to 10 all but confirms a change of number. Zlatan Ibrahimovic inherited Wayne Rooney's number 10 a year ago but only managed seven games with it before he moved to the LA Galaxy in March. Rooney wore the 10 for 10 years.

David Beckham is the only previous United academy graduate to sport the number 10 since squad numbers became fixed in the Premier League 1993. Mark Hughes, Teddy Sheringham and Ruud van Nistelrooy also excelled as United number 10s.

Mourinho reiterated his commitment to the United academy earlier this week.

"The young players have to play with the young team, that's where they play week in, week out," he explained. "The good young players are too young, we don't have good players of 20 or 21-years-old like, for example, Real Madrid have. Our good players are young, they are 16, 17, 18, they have to play in their league, training with us, like they had a wonderful experience.

"Jimmy Garner is 17, he can go home and say I play against Isco, against Toni Kroos, against Asensio, he can go home and say that. It's capital of experience, fantastic for the kids.


"The story of this club was always made with good players coming through from the youth team we managed to do that last year, Mr Van Gaal with Marcus Rashford. We managed to do that, myself with Scott McTominay and we are going to make it again when these kids are older because, I repeat: Our Under-23 team was relegated."

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