Marcus Rashford has revealed that he considered quitting Manchester United before Erik ten Hag took over as manager last summer.
Rashford signed a new £300,000-a-week contract at Old Trafford earlier this month, committing himself to United until the summer of 2028.
But the 25-year-old admitted that he thought about leaving his boyhood club amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain this time last year before embarking on the best season of his career under Ten Hag.
A rejuvenated Rashford scored 30 goals for United under the Dutchman as United finished third in the Premier League, won the Carabao Cup and reached the FA Cup final.
It was in contrast to a dismal 2021-22 campaign under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and interim manager Ralf Rangnick when a miserable Rashford scored just five times and thought about ending his 18-year association with United.
Marcus Rashford revealed that he considered quitting Man United before Erik ten Hag arrived
A rejuvenated Rashford scored 30 goals for United under the Dutchman
Rashford signed a new £300,000-a-week contract at Old Trafford earlier this month
Asked in an interview on United’s tour of the US if he considered leaving last summer when his brother and agent Dwaine Maynard met with PSG, Rashford confirmed: ‘Before the manager came maybe a little bit. But it’s football, it happens. Everything is going to happen for a reason and he (Ten Hag) came to the club at the right time for me. The timing worked out.
‘Now the conversation is a little bit different because I think it’s clear, the manager is very ambitious and he has been since the minute he stepped in. I didn’t really have doubt in my mind about that.
‘I’m hungry to keep improving and the squad and the players and the staff keep improving and getting used to each other, pushing ourselves to be better than we were the year before. That’s the only way we’re going to get back to winning trophies consistently.’
Rashford has responded well to Ten Hag’s man-management skills and the opportunity to play regularly on the left flank, his best position.
He spoke last season about being in a better ‘head space’ and benefitted from extra sessions with new forwards coach Benni McCarthy.
‘I just felt a little bit more freedom, a little bit more stability,’ he added. ‘I think that gives you the baseline to try and showcase your abilities.
‘I enjoy scoring goals, I enjoy making assists, playing in the forward areas and trying to cause a threat to the other team.
‘We were just a little bit rigid in the past. Sometimes you’re not enjoying your football and that was the case with me. I wasn’t enjoying my football as much as I should be, as much I was used to.
Rashford admitted that he was not enjoying his football until Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford
‘It influenced my performance and that’s how I am as a person. If I’m not happy then it’s difficult for me to play my best football.’
Ten Hag has said several times on tour that Rashford can hit 30 goals again this season if he has the right attitude.
‘It’s concentration,’ explained Rashford. ‘Sometimes you might not have a chance all game and you get that one chance and you have to take it.
‘If I can stay focused on that, then I can definitely score more goals than I did last season.
‘It’s important I get consistent opportunities, it’s up to me to take it on.
‘The manager always wants you to improve, whether it’s physically or mentally. For us, as players it’s important he works on both sides with us and if he sees an obvious place to make improvement then he doesn’t shy away from telling it. You never really stop developing throughout your career.
‘Hopefully I can get more goals and do more, but I’ll be equally happy if we spread the goals out more and we’re doing better than last season.’
Ten Hag got the best out of Rashford, who was Man United’s top scorer last season
Rasmus Hojlund is joining from Atalanta for £72million to lead the attack, but United have not ruled out Rashford playing through the middle early in the season while the young Dane settles in.
‘Different games require different positions for me,’ said Rashford. ‘I enjoy playing both positions. I’m probably a little more comfortable on the left-hand side, but always coming into those centre-forward and half-space positions. The main thing for me is I have to be in the right areas to score goals.’
The season ended in disappointing fashion for United as they lost to FA Cup final to Manchester City and then had to watch their neighbours complete the Treble.
‘It’s not a great moment for Man United fans,’ Rashford admitted. ‘But City are a good team. They deserved to win the Champions League final and they beat us in the FA Cup final. If you let them get in those positions they’re going to win trophies.’
However, the England international believes United have been closing the gap on City and can deny Pep Guardiola’s side an unprecedented fourth title in a row.
‘Consistency is the key,’ he said. ‘We’ve shown in one-off games we can beat them, and they’ve shown they can beat us. It’s the consistency that sets them apart.
‘I think the average points to win the league at the moment is 96. It’s a huge difference to what it was a few years ago. They’ve shown a new level of consistency and it’s up to the rest of us to try to close that gap.
‘It’s going to be interesting. We know we’re a strong team and as players you’re ambitious anyway. You’re going to try to win every game and win the league.’
