Walcott Names Rashford As Certain World Cup Starter After Barcelona Resurgence

Former England winger Theo Walcott has declared Marcus Rashford a guaranteed starter for England at this summer’s World Cup, calling him the player he is “most psyched about.”

Rashford’s international career had stalled badly after Gareth Southgate left him out of the Euro 2024 squad, with the forward going 12 months without an England cap between March 2024 and 2025.

Thomas Tuchel handed Rashford a route back into the fold, and the 28-year-old has featured in every Three Lions squad under the German manager aside from a June 2025 absence through hamstring injury.

A loan spell at Barcelona proved the turning point, with Rashford scoring 14 goals and registering 14 assists in 47 games for the La Liga champions, completely revitalising his career.

He started England’s 1-0 friendly victory over New Zealand on Saturday, creating five chances in an impressive first-half showing before being replaced at the interval as Tuchel rotated his entire squad.

Walcott, speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, was unequivocal about Rashford’s World Cup credentials, insisting his recent form demands a starting berth in Tuchel’s XI.

“Rashford this year has been outstanding,” Walcott said. “He would be a dead cert to start for me. The way he’s played, that freedom, that enjoyment. We want to see that smile.”

Walcott also praised Rashford’s courage in moving abroad, admitting he himself had not taken that step during his own playing career.

“I think he’s brave to go abroad – it’s great when English players go,” Walcott said. “I wasn’t brave enough, but for him to do that shows good character.”

Show host and Manchester United all-time leading scorer Wayne Rooney expressed sadness at how Rashford’s time at Old Trafford had deteriorated, while acknowledging the forward needed a fresh start.

“I think it’s a shame that he left Manchester United – he’s a Manchester lad,” Rooney said. “He’s the one player who’s got a chance to get my record there.”

“Over the last few years, he hasn’t been present there,” Rooney added. “We know what a good player he is, so he probably needed that change.”

Rashford’s club future remains unresolved, with Barcelona yet to make his loan move from Manchester United permanent, and a deadline of 15 June approaching to activate a £26m purchase clause.

That deadline falls just two days before England’s World Cup opener against Croatia, adding an extra layer of uncertainty around one of Tuchel’s key attacking options heading into the tournament.

Jermain Defoe, also appearing on the show alongside Rooney and Walcott, argued that England’s players arriving at the World Cup with fresh silverware from club football would give the squad a vital psychological edge.

“They’ve got tournament experience now,” Defoe said. “Not only tournament experience, but getting to finals, being in touching distance. So the squad have to go into it confident.”

Rooney said he trusted Tuchel’s squad selection despite expressing “shock” at Harry Maguire’s omission and questioning the absence of Cole Palmer and Phil Foden from the World Cup roster.

“He’s a top manager, he knows what’s at stake and he’s picked a squad that he thinks can compete to win the World Cup,” Rooney said. “We just have to back him.”

Tuchel is attempting to end England’s 60-year wait for World Cup glory and become the first England manager since Sir Alf Ramsey to lift the trophy.

“England can win – there’s no doubting that,” Rooney said. “You need a bit of luck along the way but I think you’ve got a top manager, a really good squad and you need everything to be right. If that’s the case, we can certainly win it.”

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