Cage football with Manchester United’s 18-year-olds when he was a small and skinny 12. Golden Fergie-time when kids were summoned to Sir Alex Ferguson’s office for a chat or impromptu football quiz. “Jogo Bonito” games of skills and tricks on a hardwood basketball court. If Marcus Rashford is one of the most unorthodox, refreshing talents to hit the Premier League for years, the story of his development is both refreshing and unorthodox too.

Paul McGuinness tells it, in loving detail, in a Hale coffee shop, where he dodges the pushchairs as he gets on his feet to demonstrate Rashford’s techniques, and on his way home has something to add. He texts a Johan Cruyff quote. “I trained 3-4 hours a week at Ajax when I