Marcus Rashford's return to form is down to how he has been managed by Erik ten Hag.
That's according to Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, who believes Rashford has found his confidence again and should remain in the starting XI for England's last 16 tie with Senegal on Sunday evening. After nearly two years of struggles in front of goal, the striker has finally found his shooting boots again this season.
Rashford is United's top scorer so far with eight strikes, twice as many as his closest competitor, and has continued that fine form for the Three Lions in Qatar. The 25-year-old is joint top of the scoring charts in the tournament with three goals and it was his excellent brace against Wales that saw Gareth Southgate's side secure top spot in their group.
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Rooney credits Ten Hag for helping Rashford get back to his best and is delighted to see him playing with a smile on his face again.
"During the first half against Wales he was a bit sloppy and gave the ball away a few times, but didn’t let it get him down," Rooney said in his column for The Times. "You can see the difference between Marcus now, and Marcus when he was struggling last season, in his mannerisms. He is smiling a lot more, running with the ball, being more direct. I think we’ve seen the same change in him at Manchester United, where Erik ten Hag has done a great job in managing him.
"It looks like Marcus is in a much better place in his head and the big thing, for me, is that during Covid he did so much campaigning work and got involved with a lot of stuff off the pitch. His achievements were incredible, but I think it might have been a bit too much for him. Rather than being able to just focus on his football, there was a lot on his plate, whereas what we’ve seen this season is very much a focus on football first rather than anything else. From some of the goals he has scored, you can see he is in a different headspace.
"You see his confidence and his willingness to run in behind. He always wants the ball. That Marcus Rashford is a real asset for England. And if Harry Kane is going to drop deep and play through balls then Marcus, with those runs, is probably the best player for Harry to play with.
"I watched Marcus develop at Manchester United and there are not many players with his speed and direct running at goal. You never know how much football players these days actually watch but I know from being in camps that at tournaments you sit around together watching a lot of games as a group. And I reckon, watching France, Marcus will be watching Kylian Mbappé and how, when he gets the ball on the left, he is so fast and direct. I reckon Marcus will be looking at Mbappé and thinking, ‘I can do that’."
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