LONDON: Marcus Rashford on Thursday predicted he could hit 40 goals this season, buoyed by hearing Wayne Rooney is backing him to break his Manchester United scoring record.
Rooney tops the list of all-time scorers at Old Trafford with 253, but having recently signed a new five-year contract, 25-year-old Rashford looks in a good position to one day overhaul that tally.
The 30 goals he scored last season moved him on to 123.
“You never know what’s going to happen, but I’m all about scoring goals and trying to make assists. There’s definitely a chance that it can happen,” said Rashford when asked about Rooney’s all-time United record.
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In an interview with former United defender Gary Neville on his Overlap broadcast, Rashford said he believes he could hit 40 goals if he can stay fit in the forthcoming season.
“Before last season, I always said let’s get to 20 - for a winger a good benchmark,” he added.
“But this season, I’ve hit 30 so we have to try and push it now and go above and beyond.
“Towards the end of the season, I was struggling with a few injuries, and I probably wasn’t quite at it - that’s when the goals started to dry up a little bit.
“If I can keep that side of it under control, I feel like I can go on and get 35 or 40.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has pledged to call out homophobia in football, revealing his deep pride in his gay brother.
Ramsdale, writing for The Players’ Tribune, called his actor brother, Oliver, the “real superstar of the family”, hailing his bravery.
“My brother is gay, and he’s lived his life in an open and authentic way since he went off to school,” he said.
“I’m so proud to say he’s my brother. I haven’t talked about it before, but with everything going on in football right now, I thought it was important to mention.”
He added: “Over the years, I’ve probably bit my tongue a few too many times – both in dressing rooms and on social media – whenever I hear homophobic comments or stupid things being said. And I think maybe my brother has done the same, thinking it would make my life easier.
“Well, all that ends today.
“It’s not the easiest thing to be open like this, but there’s never a ‘right time’.”
A Fulham fan was last month banned from attending matches for three years and fined after engaging in homophobic chanting while Wolves were fined £100,000 ($127,000) over similar behaviour by supporters.
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