Marcus Rashford shocked Steve McClaren with an irked reaction to his coaching methods before he left Manchester United to take charge of Jamaica, according to reports. The 26-year-old faces a critical season after suffering a dismal 2023/24 campaign, with competition among Erik ten Hag’s winger as strong as it has been for a while.
Rashford produced a career-best goal-scoring record in Ten Hag’s maiden season, finding the net 30 times in all competitions.
But he was one of several United players to endure declines last term, managing just eight goals in 43 appearances.
Rashford’s struggles cost him a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024, although that has allowed him a full pre-season to prepare for a potentially make-or-break year.
Relentless change in the dressing room, among Ten Hag’s backroom staff and at executive level has surrounded the United squad since INEOS took control of football operations in February.
One of the more recent switches saw McClaren walk away from his second spell as a coach at Old Trafford to manage the Jamaican national team.
Mitchell van der Gaag and Benni McCarthy joined McClaren in joining Ten Hag’s backroom staff at the start of his reign in 2022 but also departed earlier in the summer.
And it has since emerged that Rashford shared a prickly moment with the latter during his misfortunes in front of goal.
According to Sky Sports, the United No. 10 took issue with McClaren’s attempts at encouragement during a five-a-side match during training at Carrington.
The former England manager is claimed to have told Rashford that he was the player to score the winning goal before being shut down for putting him under too much pressure.
The report adds that McClaren was left stunned by the reaction, having hoped that his comments would inspire as they had done with world-class strikers he has previously worked with.
Rashford is now learning from Ruud van Nistelrooy, one of the greatest strikers in United’s history, as he prepares for an improved campaign.
Van Nistelrooy – who scored 150 goals in 219 games for the Red Devils – joined Rene Hake, Andreas Georgson and Jelle ten Rouwelaar as Ten Hag’s new coaches.
He has been regularly spotted in conversation with Rashford and United’s other forwards in clips from Carrington and during the warm-up for pre-season matches.
During the Community Shield final against Manchester City, Van Nistelrooy was notably spotted offering Rashford an extended applause from the Wembley technical area after he missed a good opportunity.
Ten Hag is confident that one of his poster boys can come good again under the iconic Dutchman’s tutelage.
He said: “I have no doubt. He [Van Nistelrooy] scored so many goals, so definitely he will help the strikers in different areas and definitely on the mental side, bringing over his desire to win and score goals.”
