After his double in England’s 3-0 win over Wales, Marcus Rashford was described by Gareth Southgate as a “different player” to the one that he took to the Euros.
The attacker is the Three Lions’ top scorer in the World Cup with three goals to his name after also bagging one in the 6-2 thumping of Iran. As a result, many are tipping him to start the last 16 clash with African champions Senegal on Sunday.
It’s quite a remarkable turnaround for a player who Alan Shearer said was acting like “everything was a chore” in January. There’s no doubt Rashford was one of the players who was hit hardest by last season’s woes.
READ MORE: Marcus Rashford is helping Manchester United to rediscover their best attack
He has since admitted he wasn’t in the right headspace with Southgate recently revealing that he had spoken to the player over the summer to try and assess the upcoming season.
Erik ten Hag has managed to revive Rashford’s career in the space of six months. The Englishman’s pre-season was a success and he has kicked on during the campaign, currently sitting as United’s top scorer this season with eight goals.
He is one of the staples of Ten Hag’s teamsheet and now maybe Southgate’s. There had been debate on how to restore Rashford’s form after a seemingly distant approach from Ralf Rangnick during his interim spell.
“He has to take the steps himself," he declared when speaking on how to help Rashford regain his form. But it’s clear that Ten Hag has a string to his bow that looks to have benefitted the attacker.
While the Dutchman demands everything on the pitch, Scott McTominay detailed how he makes an effort to know the person behind the player away from the pitch.
Speaking about pre-season, the Scot said: “He asked me about my family and how they were and how they’re getting on and that was a real good touch that because I felt like I could then trust him. He’s really good in that aspect.”
This trait has been evidenced by the fact Ten Hag still holds a good relationship with former Ajax players, and perhaps partly why Lisandro Martinez and Antony were so eager to join him at Old Trafford.
The fruits of this approach have shown on the pitch with Rashford. An arm around the shoulder and lending an ear to listen has seen him once again running after 'lost' balls and finding the net.
As a result, a confident Rashford made the England squad for the first time since the Euro 2022 final heartbreak last year and is earning the plaudits on the biggest stage of all.
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