Let's set the scene.
It's the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Qatar on a Tuesday evening in late November. Marcus Rashford has been handed his first ever World Cup start by Gareth Southgate.
In the 48th minute, Manchester City's Phil Foden is fouled with England probing. A number of players are stood around the ball, but up limbers Rashford to take the free-kick.
A renowned striker of the ball, he strikes with precision and power into the far top corner.
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The free-kick signified Rashford's often immeasurable prowess as a player.
But the past year or so hasn't been a straightforward recent patch in Rashford's career by any stretch of the imagination. Those aspects of his game that were once renowned weren't such common features for a fair period, hence the significance of that moment against Wales.
It was only a matter of months ago that, heading into the new campaign, there were question marks over Rashford's future as a Manchester United player.
Stuck in a vicious cycle, plagued by a lack of confidence amid dwindling output and faltering performances, Rashford endured the toughest season of his career to date throughout the 2021/22 campaign.
He was set on the back foot having started the season late after undergoing shoulder surgery, meaning he missed pre-season and the opening 10 matches of the term.
His return offered promise as he came off the bench to score against Leicester City, though from there he only managed a further four goals and two assists in all competitions across the remainder of the season.
By the conclusion of the campaign, he had made 32 appearances but only 18 starts, with his total minutes only equivalent to the completion of 18 full 90-minute matches. His minutes were below half of the total achieved in the season prior.
It was a rut of sizeable proportions that Rashford found himself in. The further his confidence appeared to decline, the worse his performances became, leading to diminishing minutes. But the reduction in game-time only further contributed to Rashford's waning belief.
As a consequence, he often looked laboured amid his downbeat mannerisms, with smiles rarely cracked and his body language often leading to accusations of a lack of desire.
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A local lad and boyhood United fan, reservations about Rashford's commitment never sat right. It was telling when he recently admitted to Sky Sports: "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."
Again, it comes around to a cycle of factors. It is often easy to look solely at what happens on the pitch, ignoring the human side of footballers. But issues that acted as distractions off-field will have been a performative inhibition.
Still, poor form will have, even if just subconsciously, likely contributed to the extent of the demise that Rashford suffered. That has been proven this term, with an upturn on the pitch correlating with a player much more positive in his demeanour.
He looks motivated again, whether that be by his own performances or, as he detailed on Sky Sports, "a complete different energy around the club and the training ground".
It is abundantly clear that Rashford being in a "better headspace" is corresponding with the ongoing re-finding of his best level. He has already surpassed last season's output with flying colours, managing eight goals - including his 100th for the club on the eve of his 25th birthday - and three assists for United prior to the World Cup break.
And all of that comes after just 19 appearances. But, of those outings, only four have come from the bench, presenting both the significance of continuity and simply the extent of Rashford's improvements. He is only 100 minutes short of the total league minutes amassed last term, with every likelihood that he will start matches if he is fit to do so.
His versatility has been impressive, with Rashford proving himself as a viable, willing option both as a left-winger and through the middle as a striker.
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"It's priceless to have the pre-season I've had," Rashford detailed to the media after a strong lead-up to the season - astoundingly only the second pre-season of his entire career. And its value in refreshing Rashford has been shown more and more as time has progressed.
Intent has become a watchword again. His directness has reemerged, with a renewed willingness to take players on rather than hesitate and operate in a passive manner. On the other side of things, there is restored determination that is seeing Rashford committing to his defensive duties by playing a role in pressing and tracking back.
The fear factor has returned, it would seem. Rashford is an imposing presence again, striking fear into opposing defenders with his pace and trickery. But additionally, he has added further intricacies and has refined aspects of his game such as his link-up play, adding creative value as his game continues to rise to a level more complete than just reliance on standout attributes such as speed.
His desire has evidently extended to a clear openness to develop, evidenced by headed goals in successive matches against FC Sheriff and West Ham United. Aerial threat has never been something synonymous with Rashford, but he has started to become more prominent in that regard.
There are some aspects that still could develop further, for example establishing a more consistently clinical edge in front of goal. Rashford could have amassed a goals tally greater than eight, but that is credit to his prowess by way of run-making and general movement as it is an indictment of wastefulness.
In all cases, he has emerged from the shadow cast upon him for almost the entirety of last season.
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In reality though, was the 2021/22 campaign always bound to be an outlier?
He reached a career-high goal involvements tally of 36 the season before, managing 21 goals and 15 assists despite suffering with injuries for large parts of the season - including the shoulder issue which necessitated surgery and an ankle problem that prevented the wearing of shoes outside of playing football.
The 2020/21 season offered further proof as to the value of consistent involvement contrary to the fragmented playing time under Ralf Rangnick. Rashford only missed one Premier League match, starting in 33 and appearing off the bench in the other four. Across the term, he played enough minutes to make up 46 full 90s - lucrative against the 18 in the tough season that was to follow.
There is no case for the 2020/21 season to be rendered an outlier, either. It was the first of back-to-back 20-goal campaigns as he notched 22 goals in addition to an assists total of nine. All 31 of his Premier League appearances came from the start as he managed 17 goals and seven assists in the competition, reinforcing the importance that he has so often held during his nigh-on seven years as a senior United player.
Rashford had made progress year-on-year since his debut as an 18-year-old in February 2016, with 30-plus game seasons with an increasing number of starts the norm and his contributions rising in accordance.
People should undoubtedly have been more reserved in their judgements during his lull last season given prior trends. But football is a reactive business.
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The prospect of Qatar will have seemed almost preposterous to most, probably including Rashford, at the climax of last season and into the summer. But, credit to his hard work, Rashford has turned things around and is in Qatar at present, thriving.
His club form has translated too, with a substitute appearance against Iran in England's opening group stage match seeing him score the third-fastest goal from a substitute in World Cup history after finding the net after a mere 49 seconds. He showed invention to chop inside of the defender before dispatching a composed finish.
He was only introduced late on in the goalless draw to the USA and couldn't influence proceedings, but Rashford earned his first World Cup start for the subsequent match against Wales as Southgate opted to rotate his side somewhat. And he excelled.
He produced a remarkable free-kick from range to open the scoring for England shortly into the second half, catching Danny Ward off-guard by striking with power into the top corner on the goalkeeper's side. From there, his impact only continued, even with Southgate switching him to his less favoured right side.
He pressed to win the ball back high up the pitch prior to Harry Kane providing for Phil Foden to double England's advantage, then a run beyond Conner Roberts preceded a purposeful burst into the penalty area before a finish was spilled by Ward. England were secured a comfortable three points, with Rashford moving to joint-top in the race for golden boot.
Ultimately, that Tuesday night at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium will be one that lives long in Rashford's memory.
Whether he goes on to compete for the golden boot as the tournament progresses remains to be seen; Southgate often favours continuity with his side - not one that has often involved Rashford.
But the fact that Rashford is even in the conversation to be starting for England only a matter of months after being written off by many is huge credit to him and a marker of immense progress. His status as a golden boot contender was unfathomable not too long ago.
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Rashford's smile as he embraced Southgate after being withdrawn in the 75th minute against Wales was a striking image.
It all feels some distance from the fateful night of dejection at Wembley in the summer of 2020, with Rashford battered and bruised and having missed a penalty in the shootout defeat to Italy in the European Championship final.
In many ways, it feels as though Rashford has been reborn. And reborn an even better player, elevating his game on football's most prestigious stage.
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