Marcus Rashford returned to the Man Utd squad for the first time on Sunday and got a good reception for supporters at Carton House.

There was a welcoming committee waiting for Marcus Rashford as he returned to the fold at Manchester United for the first time in 18 months. This feels like the start of a new era for Rashford at his boyhood club, the only question is how long it lasts.

The sight of Rashford being welcomed by hordes of United fans, wearing club colours and preparing to train with his teammates, is one we never thought we would see again. Neither did Rashford, nor those in charge at Old Trafford.

The most obvious giveaway that everyone thought this was a story that had seen its final chapter written was that Rashford’s No. 10 shirt was given to Matheus Cunha last summer. Rashford was the past, and players like Cunha were the future.

But circumstances have conspired to throw player and club back together again. The boyhood United fan, once the pride of Manchester on the front pages as well as the back, with 426 games for the club, is somehow in the last chance saloon here.

Rashford hasn’t played for United since December 2024. Patrick Dorgu, Ayden Heaven, Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, Karl Darlow, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans are all yet to experience playing alongside Rashford. Most of them won’t have even trained with him.

United have opened the door to a reintegration, however, and Rashford is said to be willing to walk through it and play his part. He looked happy on arrival at Carton House on Sunday, but this week feels crucial. Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo will do physical testing on Monday before a likely return to group training on Tuesday.

Rashford is said to be settled in his personal life again and ready to embrace a return to United. He is reported to be taking the No. 14 shirt, the one he wore at Barcelona last season, although it’s understood that hasn’t yet been made official to the squad in Ireland.

There are bound to be some nerves when he returns to training with his teammates and Michael Carrick this week. Carrick’s presence in the dugout is helping this reunion. He is a calm, pragmatic figure who has a long and positive history with Rashford and the two have spoken during the summer.

Rashford didn’t train with the first team last summer, however, having been consigned to the bomb squad, so this is the first time back in a proper United session for 18 months. It is due to build towards a first appearance in 19 months against AC Milan in Wroclaw on Saturday, when the man who looked to have ended his career will be in the opposite dugout. Ruben Amorim’s presence there will be an intriguing subplot.

By then, United and Rashford will have a better understanding of whether this is what they want. If Rashford embraces being part of the group and looks sharp in training, the pros of keeping him in the squad will far outweigh the cons.

Of course, it is not impossible that there is still a parting of the ways in the final weeks of the transfer window. But for that to happen, there will need to be interest from an elite European club, and United will need to feel they have the time and resources to find a replacement.

At the moment, all roads led to Rashford being back in red all season and resurrecting a Manchester United career that looked to be over. What happens in Ireland this week could help map out that scenario.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the greatest MMA stars of all-time, and is a role model for many youngsters.

The Russian finished his career undefeated, but his values regarding family, religion and more have added another layer to his legacy.

Many current MMA athletes also look up to Nurmagomedov as a role model, but ‘The Eagle’ also had a couple of sporting heroes while growing up.

The former UFC star was asked about several topics by popular Instagram account Khann-Journey. While there was some mix-up regarding Nurmagomedov’s current situation as he didn’t understand a question, there was no doubting who the retired star looked up to.

Nurmagomedov claimed that the two sporting heroes for him were Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldo Nazario and boxing legend Muhammad Ali:

“If you talk about athletes, I can say Brazilian Ronaldo, Muhammad Ali. That’s just two guys.”

Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s message below:

Muhammad Ali needs no introduction. Many consider him as the greatest sportsperson ever, forget boxer, and his beliefs led him to clash with the US Government over the Vietnam War. He was stripped of his titles and was deemed a draft evader. He didn’t fight for four years, which was part of his prime, as he fought the decision by the US by appealing to the Supreme Court.

Ali is a former heavyweight champion and held several records, and also fought in some of the biggest boxing matches in the history of the sport.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, is one of the greatest soccer stars ever. The Brazilian played as a striker and represented several top clubs such as Barcelona, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Real Madrid.

Ronaldo had incredible football and physicality, but his prime was cut short with several knee injuries. While the 49-year-old won several individual awards, a FIFA World Cup and many league titles, it could have been a lot more had he not been unlucky with injuries.

Former UFC fighter highlights Khabib Nurmagomedov’s humility with inspirational story

Jake Shields once shared an incredible insight about Khabib Nurmagomedov. While Shields’ MMA days are done, he still shares stories and updates from that world, and had one about ‘The Eagle’ in 2024.

Shields highlighted how Nurmagomedov was more than willing to do work that rookies would do, and shared that the Dagestani was on the cusp of UFC glory:

“When I would train with Kahabib in San Jose he would often be the guy mopping the mats [this is usually done by rookies]. This was right before he won the title but I’m pretty sure I also saw him moping in Vegas after he was already a champion. This sets a great example to his team that he’s not above them.”