Man United legend tells Marcus Rashford to 'look in the mirror' after criticism

Manchester United legend Jaap Stam has urged Marcus Rashford to "look in the mirror" to regain his top form.

The Reds' academy graduate has struggled to match the form demonstrated in Erik ten Hag's first campaign in charge two seasons ago. Rashford scored a career-best 30 goals in 2022/23, and his performances played a key role in United's Carabao Cup win and Premier League third-placed finish.

But the forward's form dipped badly last term, with just eight goals to his name, which led to criticism. The 26-year-old has demonstrated an improvement this season with a good start to 24/25, but Stam still believes there is room for improvement.

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“Rashford needs a club with players who make him play better football,” he told Voetbal Primeur when asked what would be a ‘nice club’ for the forward.

“When you see him at the moment, you see that people expect a lot from him and his way of playing. But he cannot show that now.

“An important aspect: it also depends on himself. If you look at what he achieved a few years ago and what he is showing now… then he has to look in the mirror and ask himself. What can I do differently so that I and the team perform better? He is also not looking for the assist enough.”

Rashford has scored four goals so far this season, alongside two assists. His next chance to get on the scoresheet will come in Saturday's home fixture against Brentford, with the Reds looking to recover from their worst-ever start to a Premier League season.