Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sides with Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag over Marcus Rashford

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has has sided with Erik ten Hag and urged Manchester United star Marcus Rashford to use recent off-the-field headlines as a wake-up call to recapture his very best form. Rashford, 26, missed a training session at Carrington last month after being pictured out and about during a scheduled trip to Belfast.

The forward was fined £650,000 - equivalent to two weeks wages - after that jaunt and dropped from the United matchday squad for their FA Cup tie with Newport County. Rashford has since returned to the starting lineup and has scored three goals in his last four Premier League appearances.

However, his overall total this season - five goals in 28 games - is drastically down on the 30 he totted-up over 56 matches last campaign. Solskjaer knows Rashford as well as anyone and the ever-popular Norwegian has provided his thoughts on the events which have hampered his output this term - saying the forward's poor form is not Erik ten Hag's fault but the player's himself.

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The former United manager, 50, told Reuters: "Obviously I managed Marcus for three years and I know him. It's not my job to go out and discuss performances, but last season he was fantastic and it's about consistency in football."

Solskjaer, who won the treble with United as a player, continued: "Marcus and many others haven't hit the heights this season. I'm sure he had a wake-up call last week and hopefully that will spur him on.

"Is it the manager's [Erik ten Hag] job to get the best out of him, or is it mostly himself or any player's responsibility to get the best out of yourself? I think that's