Man Utd forward Marcus Rashford opens up on struggles last year – ‘I wasn’t mentally right’
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Man Utd forward Marcus Rashford has admitted he went into games last year struggling mentally.
Rashford scored the only goal of the game as the Red Devils beat West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday evening.
His header was his 100th for the club and he has said he was relieved Man Utd secured the win after surviving fierce late Hammers’ pressure.
“It was hard work,” Rashford told Sky Sports.
“I don’t think we played our best, but if we want to reach our ambitions for the season we’re going to have to win games like that.
“We obviously want to perform better but it’s nice to win in that way as well. It feels good when you come through it.”
On his milestone 100th United goal, Rashford added: “It’s been on my mind the last couple of games. I’ve been waiting for it to come and thankfully it did today.”
Rashford is loving life at Old Trafford after a difficult year or so.
He says the atmosphere at the club under the stewardship of Erik ten Hag has put him in a “better head space”, as he admitted to not being “mentally right” before.
“It’s a completely different energy around the whole club and training ground.
“That for a start puts me in a better head space. I just feel really motivated now, last year I struggled at times with things off the pitch and wasn’t mentally right.”
Rashford added to BBC Match of the Day: “We didn’t play well but good to win games like that. If we want to achieve our aims we have to win games like that.”
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The England international says he has been working on his heading after his emphatic header decided the points for Man Utd on Sunday.
“Beautiful feeling [to score 100th goal]. Something I have been working on, I feel I need to score more goals like that and keep getting in those areas.
“Pleased that I have managed to score today and it’s always good to score regardless of whether Gareth Southgate is watching or not.
“Completely different energy in the team, we had a difficult start but we have to keep going
“De Gea, Martinez, Harry, Diogo, they were all brilliant. We held on and we defended well.”
Ten Hag was high in praise of his player after the game.
“The player on the 85th anniversary of always having a youth player in the squad or on the pitch and Marcus Rashford I think he is representing that fact and scores a brilliant goal with a great pass from Eriksen,” he said.
“It was a great header, the day before his birthday, for his 100th goal is a real milestone.”
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