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Some people are famous for 15 minutes; It took Marcus Rashford just 60 more seconds to make sure his celebrity status lasted much longer.
His 16-minute hat-trick that helped Manchester United beat RB Leipzig 5-0 in the Champions League came when he was running around very different opponents off the pitch: the British government.
And it is this unique joint success that he celebrated by tweeting: “3,16, 1,030,000” to highlight his goals, the time it took to score them, and the number of signatories to his “Free School Meals” campaign.
By shaming Scrooge-like Prime Minister Boris Johnson for starving children, the 22-year-old is altering the perception that footballers are all hedonistic fools.
And since he happens to be a working-class black boy, it could be a significant moment in Britain’s socio-political history.
Until now, Manchester United’s global diaspora would have been far more familiar with Rashford’s scoring ability than with his social conscience.
But as each mention of his name now comes with accolades for his activism, as well as his goals and supports, he has not only captured the hearts of one nation, but has caused millions of people around the world to reflect.
And almost lost amidst the wellness factor that surrounds him is that Manchester United may also be getting their mojo back.
Not only do they have a player who can’t be wrong, but the squad suddenly seems to have acquired a bit of depth.
Players who made cameos against Leipzig (Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Edinson Cavani and Axel Tuanzebe ooze promise or pedigree) or both.
United almost deserved their lead against the current Bundesliga top team that was a semi-finalist in the Champions League last season.
The Devils are now in charge of their so-called Group of Death in which they started as favorites for a Europa League grave.
They also removed some of the value of the lauded central defender, Dayot Upamecano, who Rashford had for breakfast at Old Trafford.
The attack is still the strong point. Mason Greenwood’s three forwards, Anthony Martial and Rashford outscored their Liverpool counterparts in goals on a stage last season, and now they can add the mercurial Cavani to the mix.
Although he has barely touched the ball and has yet to score, the way he is and his attitude suggest that he is going to be more of a Henrik Larsson or Zlatan Ibrahimovic than a Radamel Falcao or Alexis Sánchez.
Yes, United have had some aging forwards of late, but the vibes around the Uruguayan are positive.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer risked a lot by leaving so many great names on the bench against such a high-profile team.
But for once, as a manager, he lived up to his old “supersub” name thanks to the impact they made.
Until then, as Paul Scholes joked, “it was like they were playing out,” and the reminder of Greenwood’s early potential couldn’t hide the fact that the defense still seemed likely to give away some food packages.
The fact that Tuanzebe, who was outstanding against PSG last week, was out for the second game in a row suggests that Solskjaer does not have full faith in him. But it does look for a possible long-term solution.
Also, the way he continues to cast Maguire may need to be told that he is not Virgil Van Dijk.
Donny van de Beek got off to an unusual start and while he was an obviously talented player, he didn’t actually score a marker for any particular space on a regular basis.
Paul Pogba seemed a bit more interested than usual, but he has to do everything possible to make us think that he is not wasting his prodigious talent.
Rashford was able to show his magnanimity on the field by allowing Martial to take the penalty to break the Frenchman’s goal drought when a hat-trick called. Karma believers will say he was rewarded a few minutes later.
To keep up the momentum, United need three points against Arsenal this weekend.
The Gunners, who got away with lining up the youngsters in the Europa League win in Dundalk, have been more stable at the rear with Mikel Arteta.
But injuries have reduced their ranks, so it could be another chance for United to get between goals.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is likely to be a handful and even if United dominate possession, the way they handle counterattacks could be decisive.
After this, it is a visit to Istanbul Baseksehir, the boys of the champions league, next week. A win there would almost certainly reserve a spot in the competition’s commercial segment.
Thanks to Rashford, they could even show that they have the stomach for the Premier League fight too.
Manchester United v Arsenal at 12.30 pm on Monday in Malaysia.
The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
