Erik ten Hag says Marcus Rashford is benefiting from an improved attitude and greater professionalism after issues on and off the pitch last season.
Rashford has scored three times in two games for Manchester United against Southampton and Barnsley over the past week, having not found the net since March. He endured a difficult campaign last season, getting nine goals in 50 appearances for club and country, and was not selected in the European Championship squad. Rashford was also disciplined by Ten Hag in February after reporting ill for training having been in a Belfast nightclub until the early hours.
“Probably he needed some help, by backing him for instance,” Ten Hag said. “At the end of the day, he has to do it by himself. He has to set his life right, his training attitude right, his match attitude right. When he sets his professionalism he will perform because he is a class player.
“I think he always knew, and every player knows, because when your lifestyle is not right, you can’t perform. You don’t get the right levels when you don’t have a good and disciplined life away from Carrington.”
Gareth Southgate did not select Rashford in England’s 33-man preliminary Euro 2024 squad, saying “other players had better seasons than him”. Ten Hag is not surprised at the forward’s response.
“I think every player who plays in the Premier League, but definitely in this club, you need some resilience,” he said. “Not any football career is only the way up – you always go down. You have to deal with it. Marcus Rashford has also experienced [that]. He knows when there are setbacks how to get fightback, how to set his career, his performance. He took control of it and he is on the way back. He started the season very good now he has to continue and to progress.”
Rashford’s improvement and the return of Mason Mount and Rasmus Højlund are a boost for Ten Hag before Saturday evening’s game at Crystal Palace, and the new signing Manuel Ugarte has shown promise in his first two appearances. “He is in the process where he has to come into the club, the team, the game model, what are the principles, the rules, know his teammates and especially know with his profile what he can contribute,” Ten Hag said of Ugarte. “We are in that process and it will come. You can already see when he is filling the process he will be a very good player for us.”
United have appointed Foster + Partners to develop a masterplan for the area surrounding Old Trafford. The club said a new stadium would not be part of this process and the design of the ground would “begin once the club has decided on the development options”.
