It’s certainly been a week for Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford revealing his childhood football heroes and role models. In a Sunday Times piece, the young Englishman revealed how much he looked up to U.S. Goalkeeper Tim Howard during his childhood.
During the past international break, Rashford also revealed how much of a hero and role model the legendary Brazilian Ronaldo was to him during his formative years.
Additionally, Rashford also revealed his soft spot for the art of goalkeeping.
“My first season, I went in net. The thrill of scoring a goal, you get that same thrill when you save a good chance,” Rashford said.
“Tim Howard was my idol. I used to have a little Tim Howard shirt. You watch, there’ll be a game… I’m going to get the gloves one day! In this area, so many kids love playing football.”
“There were some at the club not as talented as others but they knuckled down because they love the game and everybody improved.
“It meant there was always huge competition, and as soon as one player went to an academy (at a professional club), it was an eye-opener to the rest. It showed what was possible.”
It’s very interesting, strikers wanting to be goalkeepers and keepers wanting to be center forwards, as United #1 David de Gea just discussed his days as a striker/inclinations towards the position in his youth a couple weeks ago.
Tim Howard (go here for our recent exclusive with him) had a somewhat eventful spell at Old Trafford, but in the long run his tenure there was far from the high points of his career. Howard wasn’t effective enough to keep his place as the #1, and he didn’t realize his potential until he moved on to Everton.
The apex of his career definitely came in 2014 when he was dominant for the United States Men’s National Team in the World Cup.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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