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- Rashford explains struggles after shoulder surgery
- Striker had no confidence in his shoulder
- Took him seven months to get back to old self
WHAT HAPPENED? The United striker has told Gary Neville how long it took for him to get his confidence and belief back after shoulder surgery. Rashford had one of the worst seasons of his career in the 2021-22 campaign as he struggled with the effects of the surgery but staged a stunning turnaround when Erik ten Hag took charge, finishing last term with 30 goals in all competitions. The striker signed a bumper new contract with the Red Devils last month
WHAT THEY SAID: "My lowest point was the post-shoulder operation. I’d never had any serious injuries before that required surgery. The actual surgery was fine. It was tough mentally because I knew physically, I was better, but I didn’t have confidence in it," Rashford told Neville on The Overlap in partnership with Sky Bet. "I felt like I was backing away [from challenges] because I play on the left side and roll a lot, so I had to use that arm quite often. It took six to seven months to feel like myself again."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Neville also explained how his hard work in pre-season helped him rediscover his best form. "Last year I had more time off, so I could do more of the training camp, so I did two weeks in total. 10 days of ball work, running and gym, then four days before (pre-season) of just getting back to speed," he said. "I had the time to do everything that I needed to tick off and I felt really well-rounded going into preseason. I wanted to be in that position this season as well, so it's important for me to come here and get the work in. I've done a slightly shorter camp this time, I’ve only done eight days of continuous training.”
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WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD? United will face Lens on Saturday and Athletic Bilbao on Sunday before beginning the Premier League season at home to Wolves on August 14.
