Manchester United could be about to learn something new about Marcus Rashford

Not long after Marcus Rashford became the first Manchester United player in a decade to score 30 goals in a single season, Erik ten Hag set him his next challenge.

The Dutchman, positioned at the front of a room full of journalists that had just watched his United side clinch a top four finish with a resounding 4-1 win over Chelsea at Old Trafford, threw down the gauntlet in Rashford's direction, challenging him to try and score 40 goals in a single season.

"There's a lot of room for improvement in his game," said Ten Hag. "I am convinced he can score even more. When you take, for instance, the last ten games he didn't score many goals. I think only two or three, so yes he can improve.

"I am happy from what he did last season to now that he brings himself back. We supported him where we could, with the way we play but also in his mental mindset.

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"We are happy with that, but we must push him more. I think he's capable of scoring 40 goals in a season. So for him that's the next step."

No pressure, then. Rashford's recovery in 2022/23 was nothing short of astonishing. His career was resurrected in such a way that you could have mistaken Ten Hag for a magician, who arrived at Old Trafford equipped with a magic wand.

Rashford had scored just five goals in a forgettable 2021/22 campaign, leaving huge question marks surrounding his future at the club. Ten Hag, though, immediately quashed talk of a potential exit, making it clear that he had a valuable part to play in his plan to try and make United great again.

United, of course, achieved