Rashford, a Manchester native who came up through the club’s academy system, scored with his first shot at United’s Old Trafford Stadium, otherwise known as the Theatre of Dreams.
Two days later, Rashford scored against Arsenal in his Premier League debut. He kept up the habit, scoring against United’s crosstown rival, Manchester City, in his first derby game.
As the weeks and months passed, Rashford maintained his place on Manchester United’s first team, even starting in the F.A. Cup final, and soon he began to be talked about as a prospect for the English national team.
England is not short of decent strikers, with Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy right at the top of the scoring charts in a league that boasts players — especially attacking players — from virtually every nation in Europe and further afield.
Hodgson threw Rashford into the lineup for a friendly against Australia on May 27. It took the teenager two touches to score. His first was a pass to Raheem Sterling to his left, and when Sterling’s attempted…