Marcus Rashford needs transfer help from Manchester United to rise to Erik ten Hag's goalscoring challenge

Marcus Rashford was on holiday around this time last year and the break was a chance to reset after a mentally draining season.

Manchester United had just endured their worst campaign for decades and Rashford looked like a shadow of his former self, with a section of supporters believing it was time for the academy graduate to move on from Old Trafford.

Rashford contributed just five goals and two assists throughout the 2021-22 season and his omission from the starting team against Manchester City at the Etihad in March 2022 is understood to have prompted him to contemplate his future.

Ralf Rangnick chose two midfielders, Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes, to lead the attack in that game and a demoralised Rashford watched from the bench as his teammates chased shadows. The 2021/22 season was dark for Rashford.

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That's why his performances in this campaign have been so impressive. Rashford has enjoyed a spectacular turnaround in fortunes and he finished with 30 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, making it the best season of his career.

Rashford was scorching hot for months of the campaign and he shouldered the burden of scoring the bulk of the team's goals, with his tally in front of goal responsible for 28 per cent of the collective total (108).

The 25-year-old was the first United player since Robin van Persie in 2012/13 to reach the 30-goal mark in a season and he reverted to what established him as a special talent; taking players on without thinking and finishing well.

Rashford scored in six league games that were won by a margin of just a single goal and without him, a stellar, promising first year for Erik ten Hag would have been