Marcus Rashford's return to form under Erik ten Hag at Manchester United this season is down to the team spirit that the Dutchman has created on and off the pitch and the instructions he is giving the player.
Rashford has been rejuvenated under the new United manager. His thumping header against West Ham on Sunday was his seventh goal of the season and the forward, who turns 25 today, has rediscovered his form and his confidence.
Towards the end of last season, it looked like Rashford's Old Trafford career was on the verge of petering out, with his prolonged slump in form costing him his place in the team.
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But Ten Hag has worked closely with Rashford to give him clearer instructions on his game and the academy graduate, who scored his 100th goal for the club at the weekend, has embraced his new lease of life.
His finishing hasn't always been faultless this season, but Rashford is finding chances are coming to him freely and he revealed Ten Hag has been drilling into him the importance of being in the right areas to score goals, as well as working on his pressing in attack, a key aspect of Ten Hag's style of play.
"He just wants me to be in the right areas, scoring goals, pressing high up the pitch, little things I’m trying to keep chipping away at, keep working," said Rashford.
"Even if you’re not having the best of days let’s try and stick to those principles, use that as a base, those fundamentals to round off your performance."
One of the improvements Ten Hag has made in Rashford's game is becoming a greater threat in the air and his header against West Ham was the second headed goal he has scored this season.
"Getting into the areas is one thing, but the technique and the desire and wanting to get your head on the end of it, that’s what I’ve been working on, it’s nice to get a couple of goals out of that," he said.
Rashford didn't look to be particularly enjoying his football last season, especially once Ralf Rangnick had replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but he is getting back to his best this season and puts some of that down to the change in environment at Carrington.
The disappointing results last season had fractured the dressing room and sapped enthusiasm at the club, but Ten Hag has transformed the mood since he took over at the end of May.
"I just think the energy is a lot different, that’s the biggest thing, the energy is more positive," said Rashford.
"[The energy] within the whole team and at the training ground, for me that is the biggest thing. I just want it to keep going really and keep enjoying it, if we’re winning games I’m sure that will happen."
Ten Hag has regularly brought up the subject of team spirit this season and he has hammered home the importance of a united dressing room to his players.
He used his programme notes ahead of the West Ham to touch on how pleased he had been to see collective celebrations recently and he would have been delighted at the way his players celebrated at the final whistle against the Hammers, having had to get through a late siege from the visitors.
Rashford is relishing playing in a squad that has found that collective spirit and believes it is going to be a valuable tool for the rest of the season.
"It’s everything, when you’re playing in a team sport you want the players to be together and you want the players to be connected as best they can with the fans," he said.
"It’s stuff that he mentioned as soon as he came in, we’ve been working on that, not meaningfully, but we’ve been improving and the best way to do it is on the pitch and in games like that."
Rashford's form has boosted his chances of making the 26-man England squad for the World Cup in Qatar and he scored in front of Gareth Southgate on Sunday, although he insists the World Cup isn't on his mind at the minute.
He was a fitting matchwinner against West Ham, on a day when United marked the 85th anniversary of a run of 4,163 consecutive games with an academy graduate in the squad.
Rashford was unaware of the anniversary, but takes pride in a record that he believes will never be broken.
"I don’t think that will be matched by anyone, it’s an unbelievable record, something the club prides itself on and it’s done us good, hopefully, it continues," he said.
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