Credit: Imago

Evan Lloyd

Sat 28 March 2026 10:29, UK

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Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford was one of the few redeeming qualities for England on Friday night as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Uruguay at Wembley Stadium.

A torrid game had seen the friendly remain goalless until the final 10 minutes, when Ben White poked home on his return to England duty to score his first goal and put Thomas Tuchel’s side ahead.

The Arsenal defender walked away from the Three Lions in 2022 and was booed by the home fans as he returned to the pitch for the first time since Gareth Southgate’s exit.

It was White who would have a direct influence at the other end of the pitch in stoppage time, too, with his contact on Federico Vinas harshly punished by VAR before Federico Valverde scored from the spot.

Man United’s transfer chiefs will be watching Rashford closely amid Barcelona’s attempts to renegotiate this summer’s buy option.

Marcus Rashford branded ‘underwhelming’ vs Uruguay

Football Insider exclusively revealed this month that Rashford is keen to stay at Barcelona this summer, with negotiations ongoing.

The La Liga leaders’ option to buy the winger is worth around £30million – a bargain, should they have been watching as he played on Friday.

The 28-year-old was among the only bright sparks for England in a languid first half, constantly attempting to make something happen where others could not.

Rashford completed an impressive six dribbles in his 69 minutes on the pitch, with the Uruguay defence glad to see the back of him when his number was read out.

The Barcelona star also created a chance and stuck to his defensive task, making a staggering four tackles – only James Garner made more for England.

Goal.com gave Rashford a 7/10 rating, and wrote that he was “the only thing that made the first half watchable”.

However, The Guardian disagreed with the assessment and gave the forward just a 5/10. “Livened up the crowd with one run but mostly dribbled down dead ends,” Jacob Steinberg wrote. “Underwhelming night.”

What Thomas Tuchel has said about Rashford

Tuchel is a clear believer in the potential of Rashford. The winger has featured in each of England’s last seven games under the German, and is a certainty to go to the World Cup.

But his manager believes that there is still more to come from the 28-year-old, who has struggled to recreate his early-season form of late.

His ceiling is very high, maybe higher than others,” Tuchel told the media, when asked about Rashford in October.

“He has potential, but potential is a dangerous word in top-level sports. It’s not about talent, it’s about whether he can prove it both for club and country. He can be one of the best in the world.”