Marcus Rashford needs 'love and support' - Ex-Man Utd coach hits out at criticism of new Barcelona loan signing and backs 'great' attacker to shine in La Liga

Former United goalkeeping coach Hoek, who was part of Louis van Gaal's staff at Old Trafford and oversaw the rise of Rashford from the academy to the first team, has come out publicly in support of the new Barcelona player. He admitted that the treatment Rashford received from the Red Devils in recent times was beyond him.

Rashford rose through the ranks at Carrington and broke through into the first team in the 2015-16 season under Van Gaal, scoring twice in his debut after starting in a Europa League round of 32 second leg tie against Midtjylland. Three days later, he scored twice and assisted one goal in a 3-2 win over Arsenal, marking his Premier League debut in style. He emerged as a star and was handed the iconic No.10 shirt after Zlatan Ibrahimovic's departure. After scoring 30 goals in a season for the first time in the 2022-23 campaign, his output declined dramatically, scoring just 15 goals in the two seasons since. Last season, he was frozen out by new manager Ruben Amorim, and was even loaned out to Aston Villa in January, where his performances improved.

Speaking in an interview with SPORT, Hoek was asked what really happened with Rashford for United to stop counting on him. The Dutchman replied: "Marcus is a great footballer, a very good forward, but as a player he needs to feel supported and valued. In that sense, I don't understand the criticism he has received from his club in recent seasons."

He added: "Rashford is a great player and now he has to fight to earn a place at Barca. Lamine [Yamal] is a great player, Raphinha is very good and I've always liked [Robert] Lewandowski, but there will be minutes for everyone because with only three top-level strikers you can't compete. Barca's forward line is very good and Rashford will have to work hard to have a presence in the team."

The Englishman was officially presented as a new Barcelona player on Wednesday. He will be wearing the No.14 jersey and will be part of the pre-season squad that will tour Asia.