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Rashford considered leaving Manchester United 

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Premier League - West Ham United v Manchester United - London Stadium, London, Britain - May 7, 2023 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford reacts after missing a chance to score REUTERS/Tony Obrien./File Photo

England forward Marcus Rashford considered leaving Manchester United before the 2022-23 season but said he decided to remain at Old Trafford after being allowed to play with more freedom under new manager Erik ten Hag.

Rashford won United’s Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year awards following a stellar campaign in which he scored 30 goals across all competitions as the club finished third in the Premier League and won the League Cup

The 25-year-old, a product of United’s youth system, signed a five-year contract with the club earlier this month.

Asked if he had thought about moving away from United before the previous season, Rashford told British media: “Before the manager came maybe a little bit.

“But it’s football, it happens. Everything is going to happen for a reason and he came to the club at the right time for me, the timing worked out,” he added, before explaining what had changed under Ten Hag.

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“Freedom — we were just a little bit rigid in the past, sometimes you’re not enjoying your football and that was the case with me. I wasn’t enjoying my football as much as I should be, as much I was used to enjoying it.

“Because of that it influenced my performance and ultimately that’s how I am as a person; if I’m not happy then it’s difficult for me to play my best football.”

United kick off their Premier League campaign on Aug. 14 at home against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

 

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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