Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has hinted at his stance on wearing the No. 9 shirt at Old Trafford. The English forward was handed the iconic shirt this summer after returning from his temporary spell with Barcelona.
Rashford spent last season on loan at Camp Nou and was expected to permanently join the LaLiga champions this summer. The Englishman was a hit with the Catalans, scoring 14 goals and registering 15 assists during his stay.
Marcus Rashford Stats: 2025/26 Season
| Competition | Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaLiga | 32 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 3 | - | 1,762' |
| UEFA Champions League | 11 | 5 | 5 | 4 | - | - | 579' |
| Copa del Rey | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 249' |
| Supercopa | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 32' |
| Total | 49 | 26 | 14 | 15 | 3 | - | 2,622' |
Source: Transfermarkt.
However, Barcelona performed a U-turn and signed Anthony Gordon instead, opting against triggering an option to make Rashford’s stay permanent. The Englishman was subsequently reintegrated into the Red Devils’ squad and even featured in pre-season with his new shirt number.
Rashford began the Premier League season from the bench, coming on at the break in the 2-0 defeat to Hull City. The Englishman started the 5-2 win over Ipswich Town last weekend and had a decent outing.
Rashford’s shirt number history
Rashford first wore the No. 9 shirt during his time with the United Under-18 team. During his stint with the Under-21s, the Englishman switched between numbers 16, 15, 14, 10, and 9.
When he broke into the first team under former manager Louis van Gaal in the 2015/16 season, Rashford donned the No. 39 shirt. The Englishman had an explosive entry into the senior side, scoring a brace in his senior debut against Midtjylland in the Europa League and another brace in his Premier League debut against Arsenal.
It was clear that the Red Devils had a gem in their hands, with Rashford moving to the No. 19 the following campaign. The player took over the No. 10 shirt in the summer of 2018, after Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s exit, and wore that number right until his fallout with former head coach Ruben Amorim in December 2024.
He moved to Aston Villa in January 2025 on a six-month loan, and wore the No. 9 shirt at Villa Park. At Barcelona, the 28 year old wore the fabled No. 14, before returning to the No. 9 this season. For the record, Matheus Cunha has been wearing the No. 10 for the Red Devils since last season.
The Englishman has now paid tribute to his recent shirt numbers with a special gesture.
Rashford inks new United number
Rashford has added two new shirt numbers to his tattoo collection. The Englishman already had the shirt numbers 39, 10, and 19 inked on his body and has now added 14 and 9 to the set.
Sharing the news on Instagram, he wrote: “New number, Same mission…”
Rashford follows in the footsteps of legendary strikers at Old Trafford who donned the No. 9, including Andy Cole, Mark Hughes and Dennis Law. Rasmus Hojlund was the last player to wear the number for United, before leaving for Napoli last summer.
Final Thoughts
Rashford has scored 138 goals and registered 79 assists in 428 appearances in all competitions for United to date. The Englishman has the chance to add to that tally this season, and perhaps salvage his career at the Theatre of Dreams.
Feature image Dan Mullan via Getty Images
