Rashford can play as either a centre forward or a winger, primarily on the left-wing. Rashford himself prefers playing on the left, a position which allows him to cut inside and strike on goal with his stronger right foot, and likes to drop deep to collect the ball and build an attack, something he learned as a youngster when playing as a central midfielder following a battle with Osgood–Schlatter disease. In his formative years, Rashford's former youth coach Paul McGuinness noted how he was attempting to play similarly to Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo, but he and fellow coaches Warren Joyce and Colin Little saw Rashford's potential as a striker and helped him work on his body shape and various attacking runs. They advised him to focus on being a goalscorer rather than a creative player, and to use his pace to make runs behind the defence. His coaches were reminded of Danny Welbeck due to his versatility, but it was decided to instead teach him the "art" of goalscoring, instructing him how to make runs at the right time, and was held back from playing reserve team football to give him confidence in his goalscoring abilities by pitting him against lesser defences. Rashford says his versatility can enable him to become the "ultimate centre forward". Rashford is a pacey and direct player, and often moves to central positions to create chances and get into goalscoring positions. He constantly tests defenders both with his movement and positioning off the ball, meaning opponents often double up on him. Rashford's former United manager José Mourinho has said he is "not a target man, he is a man of movement. I do not think he is a pure nine", comments echoed by his manager with England, Gareth Southgate, who has said his ability to play with his back to goal and his hold-up play weren't his major strengths, and is better suited as a "wide raider" coming in off the wing. United captain and England compatriot Harry Maguire attributes Rashford's reputation for being a goal threat to his movement and "clever play". Another former manager at United, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, has been credited with improving him as a player and helping him mature by giving him freedom as a winger he hadn't previously experienced. Rashford's main attributes also include his dribbling ability, and his "ruthless" finishing ability, which has been compared to that of former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, a player McGuinness advised him to study while they worked together in the club's academy. Rashford understands the need for a striker to be able to score different kinds of goals to be a player who can score 20 to 25 per season, and is said to be a player with composure and awareness. Rashford often takes penalties and free kicks for United, and has been known to use the knuckleball technique on set pieces, which was popularised by Cristiano Ronaldo during his first spell at the club. England teammate Phil Foden has described his striking technique as being among the "top three in the world". His success has been credited to his drive and personal ambition both on and off the pitch, and he has been viewed as a role model for younger players due to his success at a young age. He attributes his "focus and dedication" to watching and listening to former United striker Robin van Persie, and recalls seeing pictures of former academy players such as David Beckham and Paul Scholes on the walls of Carrington, United's training centre, and being determined to reach the same level they had. McGuinness said in 2020 that Rashford was always professional and mature, and even at a young age, was described as a leader, with former United and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves saying he had the characteristics to be a captain. Rashford has praised former teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović and Mourinho with helping improve his mentality, describing their combined influence as key to his development. He has been described as a "big game player" due to his performances and contributions in important matches, including on several débuts for club and country. Rashford has also received praise for his willingness to play on despite major injuries, with manager Solskjær saying he would "run through a brick wall for you", while his captain Harry Maguire describes him as a battler. Louis van Gaal, Rashford's first senior manager, and Fletcher Moss coach Dave Horrocks have both praised his ability to handle criticism, with van Gaal saying it was amongst his best assets.

Rashford is seen as a similar type of player to Thierry Henry in terms of style of play, physical attributes and end product. Van Gaal said his performances at a young age were similar to those of Patrick Kluivert, who he had managed at Ajax in the 1990s. Erik ten Hag, the United manager from the 2022–23 season, compared him to favourably to Kylian Mbappe due to the similar nature of their roles. Growing up, the player he most tried to emulate was Brazilian striker Ronaldo, having watched him score a hat-trick for Real Madrid in a Champions League quarter-final in the first match he attended live at Old Trafford. Speaking about Ronaldo, Rashford said: "I've grown up watching so much of him and his games. He always played free, and went out there and expressed himself. When you do that, that's when you play your best football." Rashford said that Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney were United players he idolised in his youth, having seen them join the team at an early age and watched many of their games live, and said of Ronaldo that "there is no bigger inspiration in football" after Rashford had begun his own professional career; comparisons have been made between the development of the two by Southgate, Solskjær, and McGuinness. He credits Rooney's professionalism with helping him mature in the early stages of his career, describing how he was "always ready to play and give his best", and has been tipped by Little to break Rooney's goalscoring record of 253 goals for the club. He has been described as a "student of the game", continuing to watch matches of players such as Lionel Messi and Sergio Agüero with the idea of studying and learning to improve his own game.

From English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA