LONDON — Marcus Rashford is the boyhood Manchester United fan who lived his dream until a precipitous fall from grace ended his love affair with the club.

The England winger on Wednesday joined Spanish champion Barcelona on loan in a deal that includes a purchase option, signaling a likely final exit from Old Trafford.

Rashford appears to have secured the move he hankered after, but there will be no hiding place at the Catalan giant.

It was not supposed to be this way.

The 27-year-old forward appeared to have the world at his feet when he signed a new five-year contract with United worth a reported 325,000 pounds ($435,000) per week in July 2023.

Fresh from scoring 30 goals in the 2022-23 season — the first time a player had hit that mark for the club since Robin van Persie a decade earlier — he appeared to be entering his prime.

Rashford's approval rating was sky-high on and off the pitch, after his role in forcing a British government U-turn over free school meals for disadvantaged children and his campaigns against racism and homelessness.

The Manchester-born forward even featured on the cover of British Vogue in 2020 alongside supermodel and mental health campaigner Adwoa Aboah as one of the nation's "Faces of Hope".

But, Rashford clashed with former United manager Erik ten Hag and the current boss, Ruben Amorim, and his Old Trafford career quickly unraveled.

The left winger joined United at the age of seven and emerged as a teenage prodigy in 2016, scoring twice on his United debut against Danish side Midtjylland, and repeating the feat in his maiden Premier League appearance against Arsenal.

Aged 18, Rashford became the then youngest England player to score on his debut, against Australia.

He has won the Europa League and lifted two FA Cups and two League Cups, scoring 138 goals in 426 appearances for United.

But there is a nagging feeling that the player, blessed with talent and athletic ability, has failed to fulfill his early promise.

Rashford has not entirely been to blame for his struggles, as a succession of managers deployed him as both a winger and a central striker, denying him the chance to grow into one role.

And his career has coincided with a decade throughout which United has lurched from manager to manager, and crisis to crisis, following the glory years under Alex Ferguson.

Sour relationship

The roots of Rashford's United exit can be traced back to December 2022.

Just back from the World Cup in Qatar on a high after scoring three times, the forward found himself in trouble with Ten Hag after oversleeping and reporting late for a team meeting prior to a match at Wolves.

Dropped and chastised by the Dutchman, he came off the bench to score the winner.

Rashford was in hot water again in January 2024 after reports he had been seen in nightspots in Northern Ireland — he missed training after reporting sick and did not feature in the club's 4-2 FA Cup win over Newport County.

As questions over his work ethic persisted, former United captain Gary Neville, now a Sky Sports pundit, warned him to "calm down", saying: "He's going through a dip in form, but it can become your personality if you're not careful."

But he continued to endure numerous lengthy spells without a goal in Ten Hag's misfiring team.

Rashford was left out of England's Euro 2024 squad and responded in limp fashion, managing six Premier League goals last season.

A trip to New York, where he was pictured attending an NBA game during the November international break, was interpreted as further evidence that Rashford had lost focus.

He scored the first goal of Amorim's reign in November, but the Portuguese boss dropped a bombshell when he left him out of the squad for United's win at Manchester City in mid-December, questioning his attitude and work ethic.

Days later, a disgruntled Rashford said he was "ready for a new challenge". As the relationship soured, he signed for Aston Villa on loan in February.

The forward made enough of an impact at Villa Park to earn a recall for England, now under the leadership of Thomas Tuchel.

But, Amorim has made it clear there is no future for him at Old Trafford.

Now, Rashford has a chance to reset, knowing he must prove himself all over again at one of the most demanding clubs in the world.

AFP