Steve Bruce has claimed that one Manchester United star needs to rekindle his “spark” after admitting that Erik ten Hag has a player with “frightening ability” in his squad.
Erik ten Hag endured a tough second season in charge at Old Trafford, with Manchester United languishing in eighth place in the Premier League table.
The United boss had to contend with an injury crisis in his first-team squad in the 2023-24 campaign and the Red Devils lacked consistency with their results.
The Red Devils finished level on points with seventh-place Newcastle and United were eight points adrift from Aston Villa in the race for the Premier League top four.
United will not be in the Champions League next season, but the Red Devils will be in Europe in 2024 after their FA Cup triumph at Wembley last month.
Ten Hag ensured Europa League qualification after United produced a sensational display against Manchester City in their 2-1 win in the FA Cup final.
Bruce praises ‘fantastic’ Man Utd star
Manchester United will be expected to reinforce the first-team squad, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos team in charge of their first summer transfer window at the club.
The Red Devils have already confirmed that the likes of defender Raphael Varane and striker Anthony Martial will leave Old Trafford once their contracts expire.
United legend Steve Bruce has now praised the performance of Marcus Rashford in the FA Cup final against Manchester City in May.
Marcus Rashford impressed with his display and the United star was a key part of the build-up in the Red Devils scoring their second against City in the first half.
The 26-year-old England international faced mounting criticism last season over his form for United and his behaviour off the pitch.
Rashford only managed to score eight times and picked up five assists in 43 appearances across all competitions for United last season.
Speaking on talkSPORT (via Stretty News) about Rashford, Bruce said: “We saw again in the FA Cup final what a talent he is.
“He is a fantastic footballer who played a wonderful pass for the second goal.
“He has got frightening ability, and he seems a little bit lost at the moment.
“[He] needs to find that spark again and play with the same energy and enthusiasm which we saw when he broke through because he was a breath of fresh air a few years ago.
“He has done a lot for the underprivileged children with free school meals, seeing the prime minister.”
Bruce on what Rashford must do
Marcus Rashford’s disappointing run of form at Old Trafford even led to the United star missing out on a place in England’s Euro 2024 squad for Germany this summer.
The United star has staunchly defended himself from criticism last season, with others calling for Rashford to revitalise his career away from Old Trafford.
However, Bruce is keen for Rashford to stay at United and believes the Three Lions international needs to play with “freedom again.”
“He has got a lot to offer, but it looks as if towards the end and towards the middle of the season, he has got a big weight on his shoulders and he needs to get rid of that and play with that freedom again,” he said.