Rashford made his breakthrough into Manchester United's first team in 2016 as an 18-year-old and quickly became one of the club's leading stars, going on to earn a place in the England squad. More recently his form dipped, leading to loan spells first at Aston Villa and then at Barcelona, where he impressed enough to raise hopes he could rediscover his best level now that he is back at Old Trafford.
Giggs believes Rashford has the ability to justify that optimism if he channels his talent consistently.
"I wasn't sure if it was right for him to return because of all the hype — it seems to always be around Marcus, and there's a lot of pressure on him. But he has the talent. He challenges players, he works his way back. Just do that, do it for a season, and you'll become a superstar," Giggs told Rio Ferdinand's YouTube channel.
The former United winger also shared an old conversation he once had about Rashford with ex-Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
"I went to Pep and said, 'who would you want at United?' He replied: 'The best player at Manchester United, Marcus Rashford. I'd take him tomorrow,'" Giggs said, recalling the exchange from several years ago when Rashford was playing as a central striker.
Rashford has made 429 appearances for United, scoring 138 goals and providing 79 assists across his career at the club. He has yet to register a goal or an assist in his first matches back since returning from his loan spells, with United's next opportunity to open his account coming on Wednesday when they face Sabah FK in the Champions League.
His time away from Old Trafford followed a well-documented fallout with former manager Rúben Amorim after his arrival in November 2024, which led to Rashford being frozen out before United sanctioned a loan to Aston Villa in January and then to Barcelona over the summer.
At Barcelona, Rashford contributed 14 goals and 15 assists as the Catalan club won the LaLiga title and the Supercopa de España, form that persuaded many observers he could still perform at the highest level despite his struggles in Manchester.
Guardiola, who left City at the end of last season after a decade in charge, has a strong record of accurately judging talent throughout his managerial career, adding extra weight to his long-standing admiration for a player he was never able to sign.