Erik ten Hag sends warning to Marcus Rashford over party lifestyle

Erik ten Hag has issued a stern warning to Marcus Rashford, emphasizing that the Manchester United star must maintain discipline both on and off the field to regain his best form.

Rashford, who endured a difficult season last year, is starting to rediscover his touch.

His struggles, both professionally and personally, saw him miss out on England’s Euro 2024 squad.

After scoring a career-high 30 goals the previous season, Rashford managed just eight last term.

Off-field distractions contributed to this dip in form, with one incident drawing significant criticism.

Erik ten Hag publicly rebuked Rashford for celebrating his birthday at a Manchester nightclub, only hours after United’s crushing 3-0 derby defeat to Manchester City.

In a separate incident, Rashford was disciplined after calling in sick and missing training.

Reports indicated that he had travelled to Belfast for a night out, which led to him being dropped from an FA Cup tie in January.

Despite these setbacks, Ten Hag has continued to back the 26-year-old, showing faith in his abilities.

That trust has been rewarded in recent matches, with Rashford scoring three goals and providing an assist in United’s last two outings.

When asked what has changed for Rashford this season compared to last, Ten Hag commented: “Probably he needed some help, by backing him, for instance.

“But at the end of the day, he has to do it by himself.

“He has to set his life right, his training attitude right, his match attitude right.

“When he sets his professionalism right, he will perform, because he’s a class player.

“I think he always knew – and every player knows [what they must do] – because when your lifestyle is not right, you can’t perform.

“You don’t get the right levels when you don’t have a good and disciplined life away from Carrington [United’s training ground].”

“For every player who plays in the Premier League – but definitely in this club – you need to have some resilience,” added Ten Hag.

“No football career is only the way up, you always go down. You have to deal with it.

“Marcus has also experienced that.

“He knows when there are setbacks, how to fight back, how to set his career and his performance.

“He took control of it and he’s on the way back.

“He started the season very well – now he has to continue and to progress.”

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