The 28-year-old forward is currently on loan at Barcelona, who hold an option to make the move permanent this summer, but his long-term future remains unconfirmed.

However, former Manchester United and England masseuse Rod Thornley believes interim manager Carrick could yet play a decisive role in bringing Rashford back to Old Trafford.

Speaking on The Busby Way podcast, Thornley said: “I’ll say it, I don’t mind, I know Marcus, and if he’s not happy with what I say, I don’t care.

“He became unhappy. He became a different person. I watched this player that used to be a happy, lovely kid just moping around, especially in the club.

“Outside the club, I used to see him every now and then, and he was fine outside the club, but in the club, he had this demeanour about him that just wasn’t great.”

Rashford has made 426 appearances for United, scoring 138 goals and registering 79 assists since breaking into the first team in 2016.

He won six trophies with his boyhood club, including the Europa League and two FA Cups, but has not featured for United since December 2024 after falling out of favour under former head coach Ruben Amorim.

Having spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, Rashford joined Barcelona on a season-long deal last summer.

Reports in Spain suggest the Catalan club are prepared to activate a €30million purchase option after he impressed under Hansi Flick, contributing goals and assists as Barcelona challenge at the top of La Liga and in Europe.

Thornley, however, feels Rashford’s dip in form at United was linked to his mindset rather than ability.

He said: “Then it transferred onto the pitch, and then you see him walking around, and you just wanted energy levels out of him, which is what Michael Carrick is doing now.

“He’s getting energy levels out of the players, and you wanted that out of Marcus, but you just weren’t getting it.

“For me, he’s half tossed off his Manchester United career rather than it has been taken away from him.”