SUMMARY
- One of the things that the soccer world likes is Rashford's iconic celebration called, 'Temple Point.'
- While the celebration looks crisp, it conveys a very deep and thoughtful meaning.
Marcus Rashford is the poster boy of the Manchester United squad. The 26-year-old has had an interesting journey to become a ‘Red Devil.’ He has taken over the mantle of leading the United strike force, being the club’s key squad member for over 8 years. However, the Englishman’s personality and glamour on the pitch have been a key factor for his personality.
rashford’s goal catalogue is so underrated pic.twitter.com/nStXf418eo
— ⚡ (@UTDCJ_) January 24, 2024
One of the things that the soccer world likes is his iconic celebration titled, ‘Temple Point.’ This involves Marcus Rashford pointing with his fingers toward the side of the head behind the eyes, otherwise known as the ‘temple.’ However, while the celebration looks crisp, it conveys a very deep and thoughtful meaning.
The meaning behind the ‘Temple Point’ celebration of Marcus Rashford
The English soccer player pulled off the celebration for the first time during the 22/23 season. That season, Rashford was simply on fire as he went on to score 30 goals and assisted a further 11 for Manchester United. The United player redeemed himself after years of receiving flak from the club’s fanbase. And that is the exact, reason behind Marcus Rashford coming with the ‘temple point’ celebration.
However, some people have also accused the English forward of copying the celebration from the Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves. The Portuguese used the celebration when he played for Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, this was way back even before Rashford had thought about the ‘Temple Point’ celebration. Ruben Neves had come up with the celebration when he and Wolves were playing in the EFL Championship, around 4-5 seasons back.
MARCUS RASHFORD CAN’T STOP SCORING RIGHT NOW 💥 pic.twitter.com/EuOuugnMmw
— GOAL (@goal) January 3, 2023
However, Rashford has denied the copying allegations and has attributed the celebration to his struggles with his mental health. According to Rashford, the celebration signifies the improvement from the previous season. He told Sky Sports (via Goal), “I was struggling at times with more mental things. It wasn’t really my own performance but other things off the pitch. That’s the biggest difference from last season.”
He added, “Too often last season, I wasn’t in the right headspace for games. I wasn’t surprised by some of the stuff that was happening,” Marcus Rashford has shown incredible mental strength to fight the demons inside his head to become one of the best players in his position.
Players who were influenced by Marcus Rashford’s celebration
The iconic ‘Temple Point’ celebration went pretty viral after its introduction by the English player. what started as a mental health awareness movement, has acquired a cult status in the sports fraternity. It looks very aesthetically pleasing when done after scoring a goal and hence it became many other sportsmen’s liking. Many players from soccer and even from other sports as well have tried emulating Rashford’s cold celebration.
SAKA HIT THE SAME CELEBRATION AS RASHFORD 😆 pic.twitter.com/RwsBSiS1QH
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 22, 2023
One such notable player is Arsenal’s star winger Bukayo Saka who hit the celebration against Manchester United on January 22, 2023, in a Premier League game. However, Rashford probably wasn’t very pleased with Saka pulling up the celebration in front of him in the 3-2 loss for United. Even famous soccer players like Joshua Kimmich, Danny Welbeck, and Tammy Abraham have celebrated similarly to Rashford.
However, the celebration has transcended beyond the realms of soccer. The famous Indian cricket player Jasprit Bumrah hit the ‘Temple Point’ celebration. The seamer did the celebration after taking a wicket in an ICC Cricket World Cup fixture against Afghanistan. It is safe to say that Rahford’s celebration will be remembered even after the Englishman’s retirement.