Wayne Rooney backs Marcus Rashford to BREAK his Man Utd scoring record amid forward's resurgence under Erik ten Hag

• Rashford enjoying fine run under Ten Hag
• Has scored 27 times this season
• Rooney backs him to go past his United record

WHAT HAPPENED? Rashford has netted 27 times this season in 44 appearances, and became the first Manchester United player since Rooney to score in seven straight Premier League games at Old Trafford after he bagged a brace against Leicester City. Although, Rashford, with 120 goals to his name for United in total, has quite a bit of ground to cover to overtake Rooney's record of 253 goals for United, the current D.C. United manager believes the 25-year-old has all the attributes to set a new mark.

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WHAT THEY SAID: “I think we’ve all known about Marcus, even before he was in the first team, coming through the academy. He’s a top player and he fell off a little bit over the last 18 months especially. And again, I think Ten Hag has come in and really simplified it for him,” the former United striker said to CNN.

"I’m not a player who sits on records and hopes no one breaks them. I hope he does it and the reasons why [with] him being a Manchester lad coming through the academy. I think it’s a great story and it means he’s been very successful with the club and been there a long time and scored a lot of goals if he does do it. So I hope he does. I think he certainly has the ability and the capabilities to be able to do it. I’m sure, or I hope, sometime in the next few years I’ll be able to pass that mantle onto him."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Rashford had a disappointing individual campaign in 2021-22, scoring only five times in all competitions, but Ten Hag has managed to unlock his full potential this term. The United boss claimed he was even out of shape at the start of the campaign, but praised the England international's mentality which has helped him reach a new level since returning from the World Cup break.

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WHAT NEXT? Rashford pulled out of the England squad for their first two 2024 European Championship qualifiers after picking up a knock against Fulham, but is on course to return to action when United make a trip to St. James Park to take on Newcastle United on Saturday.