Roy Keane says he wants to see Marcus Rashford rediscover his ‘childhood love’ for football under new Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, as he feels he has not been enjoying playing.
Amorim faces his first assignment as Man United boss today – away to Ipswich Town. Along with hope he can get his Old Trafford career off to a winning start, pre-match there is plenty of anticipation to see who he names in his first line-up.
The 39-year-old has had the international break to work with certain players not playing for their countries, Rashford being an example. After a 30-goal haul in Erik ten Hag‘s first campaign in charge (2022/23), the Manchester-born attacker has shrunk in front of goal with 12 strikes in one-and-a-bit seasons.
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“We seem to talk about him a lot because we know he can do it, he never looks like he’s enjoying it. That’s the biggest thing for me,” Keane analysed for Sky Sports in the build-up to Sunday’s match.
“We can all be moody in the game and I get it, you’re obviously under pressure, the attacking players have to score goals. Everyone he scores they just look like a little bit of a chore to him.”
As Amorim typically played with a front three at Sporting CP and could do the same with his new team, Rashford has the chance to earn a starting spot as either the central striker of playing off the left-hand side.
Keane added: “Hopefully the new manager coming in, a new voice, will give him that ‘go and express yourself and remember why you play the game of football – because you enjoy it’. I think Marcus needs to get back to that childhood love for the game – he seems to have lost that a little bit.”
