Marcus Rashford Man Utd striker has big motivation says Erik ten Hag

Manchester United boss, Erik ten Hag, defended Marcus Rashford, stating that the striker is highly motivated to assist the club for the remainder of the season.

Rashford, aged 26, was not included in the starting line-up for Thursday’s 4-3 Premier League defeat against Chelsea.

United led 3-2 before conceding two goals in the final moments of injury time.

Rashford came on just before United took the lead, but a perceived lack of pressing was highlighted on social media following the defeat.

This occurred just hours after Rashford’s step-brother and agent, Dwaine Maynard, responded to former United captains Gary Neville and Roy Keane over comments made about the English forward on the ‘Stick to Football’ Podcast.

Neville said Rashford, who has scored eight goals in 37 games this season, “wasn’t right”, while Keane suggested he needed a push.

This feeds into a narrative perceived by Rashford’s camp, which feels the player has been singled out for criticism with little protection from the negativity.

Maynard stated in a social media post that if the pair had “genuine concerns”, they should “pick up the phone”.

Ten Hag has not provided any fitness reasons for Rashford’s form compared to last season, when he scored 30 goals, and says he is a player who can “change the momentum”.

Rashford has faced questions about his work rate on the field and criticism about his off-field conduct this season, and in February he said people questioning his commitment to the club need to show “more humanity”.

The defeat at Stamford Bridge leaves United in sixth place, 11 points behind Aston Villa in fourth.

They still have a chance of European qualification and have reached the FA Cup semi-finals.

With the European Championship upcoming in the summer, Ten Hag feels England international Rashford has plenty of reasons to want to impress.z z z z z z z z z z z z z

“Recently his form has been improving,” the Dutchman said, ahead of United welcoming Liverpool on Sunday (15:30 BST). “I think he has a big motivation because he wants to be successful with us.

“He wants to score goals but he wants to win trophies and we still have a chance in the FA Cup. He wants to fight for a Champions League spot and the Euros are coming so I will say his motivation should be high.

“He can change the momentum. Before the Brentford game on March 30th, he scored three goals in three games.”