Erik ten Hag warns Marcus Rashford over Manchester United career: ‘He has to set his life right’

Erik ten Hag believes Marcus Rashford ‘is on the way back’ but admits that the Manchester United forward has needed to ‘set his life right’.

The 26-year-old suffered an alarming dip in form last season, scoring just eight all competitions for United, while he was left out of England’s squad by Gareth Southgate for their Euro 2024 campaign in the summer.

Rashford was also fined two weeks’ wages worth £650,000 after he was caught partying in a nightclub the night before missing a training session.

The United forward was named Player of the Match in the 7-0 win against Barnsley in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening but has faced calls to be dropped from the team after subdued performances in the Premier League against Fulham, Brighton and Liverpool.

Ten Hag feels Rashford is starting to get back on track but insists the forward must keep his discipline away from the pitch.

‘I think every player who plays in the Premier League, but definitely in this club, you need some resilience,’ said Ten Hag 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, he knows when there are setbacks, how to get fightback, how to set his career, his performance. He took control of it and I think he is on the way back.

‘He started the season very good, now he has to continue and to progress.’

When asked if Ruud van Nistelrooy has helped Rashford, Ten Hag said: ‘Probably he needed some help, by backing him for instance.

‘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 in the leagues we have to perform.

‘You don’t get the right levels when you don’t have a good and disciplined life away from Carrington.’

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