MARCUS RASHFORD has credited Erik ten Hag for letting him fire on all cylinders after the Manchester United boss encouraged his players to “be positive”.
The 24-year-old struggled last season after missing the start of the season due to an injury that caused him to pass England.
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But in four pre-season games under Ten Hag, Rashford already has two goals to his name.
The United attacker looked alive again under the Dutchman, as did teammates Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial.
Sancho has also scored twice after a poor debut campaign at Old Trafford, while Martial top three out of four following his dismal loan spell at Sevilla.
And Rashford has hailed Ten Hag’s positive approach as one of the reasons he’s starting to feel like he’s getting back to his best.
Discussing the gaffer, Rashford told the PA news agency, “He just wants us to be positive.
“He wants us to do everything in a positive way, so for us it means a lot of forward runs, a lot of alternating positions, trying to connect on the ball.
“It’s fun to play in, we enjoy it, so hopefully we can start with these kinds of performances next season.”
Local lad Rashford also spoke of the benefit of a full preseason under his belt.
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Last year a shoulder injury caused him to go under the knife after England’s final defeat at Euro 2020. only played for United in October.
This time around, Rashford has a full preseason under his belt, something the forward considers “priceless”.
He said: “I feel fit, I feel strong and we came out of the trip without injuries.
“For us it’s definitely positive to have a fully fit team ready to start the season. For me personally it’s invaluable to have the pre-season I’ve had.
“Sometimes I don’t pay much attention to it because we usually play games in the summer and things like that, so the next season just rolls on to the previous season.
“But this year I’ve had time to break, rest, recover mentally and physically, and then I’ve had a good preparation. I feel really happy. I’m glad I was able to do that.”
The Red Devils have had three wins in four pre-season games so far, with yesterday’s draw against Aston Villa the only blemish on Ten Hag’s writing book.
A clash with Sevilla in Oslo awaits next week for a home game against Rayo Vallecano in what will be Ten Hag’s first home game.