Rashford ‘right’ to want a ‘new challenge’, says Amorim | OneFootball

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim insists he wants to help Marcus Rashford perform at the highest level after the 27-year-old said he was ready for a ‘new challenge’, suggesting his future was away from Old Trafford.

Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho were left out of United’s squad entirely for the Manchester derby win and were both training at Carrington on the day of the game.

Amorim explained his reason for leaving both forwards out of the squad: “When people in the club are losing their jobs, we have to push our standards really high.

“Next week, next game, new life, they are fighting for their places but for me it’s important, the performance in training, the performance in game, the way you dress, the way you eat, the way you engage with teammates, the way you push your teammates, everything is important when we want to change a lot of things.

“They have to fight for a place in the team and today the team proved we can leave anyone out of the squad and manage to win if you play together.”

The Portuguese is taking a harder stance than his predecessor, Erik ten Hag, while keeping the door open for his players to react and earn their way back into the squad.

Rashford, in response to missing the last-gasp win over United’s fierce rivals, insists when he does eventually depart the club there will be no hard feelings. He said: “For me, personally, I think I’m ready for a new challenge and the next steps.

“When I leave it’s going to be ‘no hard feelings’. You’re not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That’s me as a person.

“If I know that a situation is already bad, I’m not going to make it worse. I’ve seen how other players have left in the past and I don’t want to be that person. When I leave I’ll make a statement and it will be from me.”

Speaking ahead of the League Cup quarter-final tie away to Tottenham, when asked whether he wants to keep Rashford, Amorim said: ‘We are better with Marcus Rashford. That is simple and we will try different things to push Marcus to the best levels he showed in the past.

“This kind of club needs big talent and he’s a big talent, so he just needs to perform at the highest level… I just want to help Marcus.”

Amorim also agreed with Rashford’s claim of needing a new challenge, but the Portuguese suggested the biggest challenge the player could want is already in front of him.