Rooney has 253 goals. Rashford has 41. He will need another 212 goals.
I will try to do a math of it. And i will try to take every factors into counting. So the form will be like this. And i just do this base on the matches in England. Not European football rating include.
Rooney own skills and physically body + teammates level + opponents level + manager level in attacking way = 253 goals = manager lev + opponents lev + teamates lev + Rashford level
Those are the main and biggest physically factors behind a football player success. I dont take unvisible factor like luck into this counting. And i give 5 is the highest level and 3 is the middle and average level. And 1 is the lowest. So i start with Rooney.
Rooney skills : 5, average all over his career. Even he drop the level to 4,5 or 4 later in his career.
It was clearly as day about Rooney talent, that he will dominate and be the next big to happen in the football. Same level as C.Ronaldo.
About his body. He is not a natural easy on the toes player. So its a reason why i think RAshford will keep in longer than Rooney. Its definitive a disavantage compare to RAshford.
Rooney teammates level : average over his whole career i will rate it 5. Giggs, Scholes, C.Ronaldo, TEvez. But like his level drop in form, the level of his teammates drop to after Sir Alex retire. Gone is the class of 92 and Ronaldo, worse service and supporting. So its a plus compare to RAshford early years. But Rooney didnt score much in his late career.
Rooney opponents : in the 2000 there were max 2-3 really good teams. A top 3. So compare to the top 4-5 in RAshford early years. I will give 4 to Rooney opponents level. Average over his whole career.
Rooney managers level : Sir Alex was the manager most of Rooney career. So its definitive a 5
And now Rashfords years so far.
Rashford skills. Definitive not a 4. Rashford is close to Rooney, really close. But not at Rooney finisher level yet. Rooney was so sharp, clinical and determination in everything he was doing. Run, dribbling and finishing. And Rooney longshoot was better too. And Rooney had many goals outside the box too. So not a 4 or 5. It get to be 4,5
Rashfords teammates level : Its start with LVG. And he took over David Moyes and continue with Mourinho. Definitive not a 4,5. Rashford had most of the time. Consistent teamates under LVG was Martial. So not sure i will give a 4. But with Pobga under Mourinho so it will be around a 4.
Rashford opponents level : We have City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham. 4 really good teams include ARsenal, Everton teams that are the next best. So i will give Rashford opponents level a 5 so far. And of course compare to Rooney first years.
Rashfords managers level : In the way to help him and the team to score. LVG and Mourinho. Sorry both were not at theirs best period in their managers careers + plus Mourinho was defensive minded against the top 6. So it will be a 4
And another factor is penalty taker. Rooney start to be a regular penalty taker in some time. I dont remember. So i hope in some stage Rashford will be a regular penalty taker too. Its plus to a a striker that score 20 goals plus each season average. And if you a regular penalty taker like Baines for Everton, Mihajlovic for Crystal Palace and Milner for Liverpool. Average let we say 5 penalty goals each season. over 10 season it could be 50 goals.
So conclusion is. To help RAshford to reach 253 goals. I think the level of his teammates has to level and get up. Like a top RW and CM. Then i will give it a 5. Pobga is consistent as this moment. And if Martial find to his best, consistent. Adding a top RW like Jadon Sancho and the midfield general Axel Witsel in the cm. Or some another cm at Axel Witsel and Sancho level. Over the next 5 years. And if he start regular the next 5 years. Big possible he will score 100 goals in next 5 years. Taking that Ole and someone like United way attacking football style into counting.
But i think Pobga want to take the penalty in the years to come. So i will lower the expecations to 15 goals each season withouth penalty goals.
And because the high level of opponents too. So average 15 goals the next 10 years. Then we have 150.
212 minus 150 goals about the age of 31 = 62 goals left
So 62 goals from 31-35 = 32,33,34, 35 = 4 x 15 = 60 goals
It might happen. Average 15 goals each season. If the level of the top 6 drops over the next 10 years. Easy opponents in champion league. And to be more optimist like average 20 + minus each season. Its a really hard task. Because of RAshford isolate skills. He is not far from Rooney finishing skills. If Rashford can consitent be really sharp and clinical infront of goals. Without the penalties. I think and belief he should be good for around 20 goals each season. Like 17 or 18 goals in some season and 22-23 in others season.
But last thing of all. He has to stay at Old Trafford his whole career. Rooney did, even he return to Everton and Join USA. He has to stay, if not we can just forget about this cabal and math to go up. Its main condition
So from my personal point of view. Again its hard task. But not impossible. Not even close to that. Its a realistic goal. But again. Rooney was so clinical and sharp infront of goal. A natural goalscorer who had everything. A complete football player. Because of his body type. He reach the complete level as much as he could. But if Rashford stay and play for United the next 14-15 years. Regular over that period. Yeah i think he would reach it. If not. Its maybe because of the factors and things i have mentioned compared to Rooney career. But Rashford does have that exciting factor with him. Kind of player peoples want and love to watch. Beside scoring goals. He always work hard and has the skills too.
But i have tips too RAshford. Save the energy by not pressing aggression alone up there. And stay more often in the box. United should have good enough midfield player to open up opponent teams and give you the best support up there. As a main striker, you get to be in the box most of the time. Like your goals in debuts and in your early matches. Not every striker and player have the ability. Be at the right place and right time. And that is in the box. I wish you good luck boy
P.S dont reply to me comment. Because im not into discussion. Personal point of view discussion will never end
Edit:
But about my post/this post. If a player always remind himself, that are always others puzzles/factors in a bigger and total pictures, which is scoring alot of goals to help the team winning. Then he will keeps his feets on the ground. Contra if a player just its all up to him. Sorry like Mourinho sometime. You will meet the wall and struggle. Have the right view will help to keep your ego down. If not, it can be hard for peoples around you too. Right views is the key to keep beeing grounded.
And if United gonna win premier league again. Im sure the factors top teammates has to goes top = top quality teammates are maybe on theirs way to Old Trafford and thats again will help your performances.
Because simply math = its easier to score goals in a winning dominate team, than for a team that were struggling. And United as a team did struggled in the years after Sir Alex.
So Rooney started playing for a dominate winning team, but ended up playing for a struggling United team.
Compare to Rashford. He start playing and debut for a struggling United team. But who knows when he end his career. Maybe for a dominating team. Top service and support, at the age of 35. Like Sheringham?Playing for a treble champion team. The goals will keep coming.
Football is a teamsport, so your personal success depend a lot on others puzzles/factors, that makes the bigger pictures. Team success and your success.