Erik ten Hag has praised Marcus Rashford’s resilience after the striker returned to scoring form for Manchester United.
Rashford, 26, had gone 12 games without scoring for his team before scoring against Southampton last weekend, and he continued his goalscoring prowess on Tuesday night with a brace against Barnsley in the Carabao Cup.
Ahead of United’s game against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday, Ten Hag praised Rashford’s determination to bounce back after a difficult few months.
He said: “I think any player who plays in the Premier League, but certainly at this club, needs a certain resilience. No football career is all uphill, you always go downhill. You have to deal with that.”
“Marcus Rashford also has experience, he knows how to bounce back from setbacks, how to take control of his career and his performance. He has taken control and I think he is on the way back. He started the season very well but now he has to keep going and make progress.”
Former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy joined Ten Hag’s coaching staff at United in July alongside Rene Hake.
Van Nistelrooy scored 150 goals in 219 games for United and Ten Hag spoke of the influence the Dutchman had on Rashford’s return to goalscoring form.
“He (Rashford) needed some help, for example by supporting him,” said Ten Hag. “Ultimately, he has to do it himself. He has to get his life in order, his training attitude, his game attitude. If he shows his professionalism, he will perform because he is a first-class player.”
“I think he always knew it, and every player knows it, because if the lifestyle isn’t right, you can’t perform. You won’t perform at the right level if you don’t lead a good and disciplined life outside of Carrington.”
Rashford, who has 60 caps for England, has not played for his country since the 1-0 defeat to Brazil in March and was conspicuously absent from former manager Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2024.
When asked about Rashford’s chances of returning to the England national team, Ten Hag said: “I think he will always be an option for any manager, but that’s not up to me.”
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Marcus Rashford’s form: Why it disappeared and signs of its return
(Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
