Ryan Giggs says Rashford ‘has the weight of the world on his shoulders’ and wants to see Man Utd outcast ‘smiling again’
RYAN GIGGS has warned Marcus Rashford he must rediscover his smile and love of football if he wants to get his career back on track. Welsh legend Giggs was on Manchester United’s coaching staff when the forward broke through in 2016 and says he looks like he has the ‘weight of the world on his shoulders’. GettyRyan Giggs wants to see Marcus Rashford smiling again[/caption] The Man Utd misfit is hoping for a new lease of life at Aston VillaGetty Giggs gave Rashford his big break as assistant to Louis van GaalGetty - Contributor United let Rashford, 27, join Aston Villa on loan on Sunday after boss Ruben Amorim made it clear he will not pick him. Giggsy, 51, said: “Everyone will remember that smile and that enjoyment and freedom when he first came through — but he doesn’t look like that now. “He’s a human being and he just doesn’t look happy. He looks like he’s got the world on his shoulders. “He needs to play with that freedom and enjoyment that got him to where he is now. ”It may be more than nine years ago but Giggs remembers the day very clearly. Early in 2016, Giggs and Louis van Gaal had just finished leading a first-team training session and wandered across to one of the youth team pitches at Manchester United’s Carrington HQ. Between them, Red Devils boss LVG and his No 2 thought they had seen it all during their long careers in the game. But almost immediately one lad in particular caught their eye. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS He had only just turned 18 but was fearless, scored all types of goals and had “a bit of everything”. More than anything, though, they were struck by his smile, his enthusiasm and the way he played the game with such freedom. Van Gaal and Giggs looked at each other and knew straight away he had to be promoted to the first team. That lad was Marcus Rashford. Within weeks he was scoring goals for the first team and seemed destined for a glittering career with his boyhood club. But almost a decade on, he was shown the door by the Red Devils on Sunday. And Giggs is puzzled to see the England striker with ‘the weight of the world on his shoulders’ — and that engaging smile nowhere to be seen. Recalling the first time he spotted Rashford, United legend Giggsy said: “It was basically a small-sided, eight-versus-eight game. “We saw Marcus go past a few players and put it in the bottom corner and then score another goal. “Me and Louis just looked at each other and went, ‘We’ve got to pick this lad — he’s too good’. “He came into the first team and, of course, scored on his debut and everyone will remember that smile, that enjoyment and that freedom. “He had a bit of everything. He was brave, he had no fear, he would take players on and would score all types of goals.” Thirteen-time Prem winner Giggs spent more than two decades as a player at Old Trafford and is always thrilled to see a kid come through the ranks. So he is sorry to see Rashford — who joined Aston Villa on loan — losing his way. Welsh wing wizard Giggs said: “United need young players coming through, one of their own and it just felt that he was the next one. “But for whatever reason, he’s had a decent career but he’s never gone on to be what I thought he would be. “More so than anything, he’s a human being and he just doesn’t look happy. “He looks like he’s got the world on his shoulders. “And I don’t know why, because the lad who I saw and who I coached didn’t have the world on his shoulders. “He just played with freedom, he loved the club and was a great lad but he just doesn’t look it now.” While Rashford’s future now looks to lie away from the Theatre of Dreams, Giggs is hoping the 27-year-old forward can rediscover his love of the game. He added: “Hopefully, he will find where he was ten years ago and never forget that it is the best job in the world. Rashford needs to play with that freedom and that enjoyment that got him to where he is now Ryan Giggs “You should enjoy it because it will soon be over — you’ve got to try to enjoy every minute of it. “He needs to play with that freedom and that enjoyment that got him to where he is now — and hopefully he does that.” United coach Ruben Amorim has been critical of Rashford’s efforts in training ever since he took over as manager in November after Erik ten Hag was sacked the month before. And Giggs said the secret to his own long shelf life at Old Trafford was the hard work he put in at Carrington when things were not going his way. He added: “I played 20-odd years and you do have highs and you do have lows. “But if I was ever struggling I would go back to the training ground and make sure that during the week I ate right, I rested, I trained properly and did all the
RYAN GIGGS has warned Marcus Rashford he must rediscover his smile and love of football if he wants to get his career back on track.
Welsh legend Giggs was on Manchester United’s coaching staff when the forward broke through in 2016 and says he looks like he has the ‘weight of the world on his shoulders’.
United let Rashford, 27, join Aston Villa on loan on Sunday after boss Ruben Amorim made it clear he will not pick him.
Giggsy, 51, said: “Everyone will remember that smile and that enjoyment and freedom when he first came through — but he doesn’t look like that now.
“He’s a human being and he just doesn’t look happy. He looks like he’s got the world on his shoulders.
“He needs to play with that freedom and enjoyment that got him to where he is now.
”It may be more than nine years ago but Giggs remembers the day very clearly.
Early in 2016, Giggs and Louis van Gaal had just finished leading a first-team training session and wandered across to one of the youth team pitches at Manchester United’s Carrington HQ.
Between them, Red Devils boss LVG and his No 2 thought they had seen it all during their long careers in the game.
But almost immediately one lad in particular caught their eye.
He had only just turned 18 but was fearless, scored all types of goals and had “a bit of everything”.
More than anything, though, they were struck by his smile, his enthusiasm and the way he played the game with such freedom.
Van Gaal and Giggs looked at each other and knew straight away he had to be promoted to the first team.
That lad was Marcus Rashford.
Within weeks he was scoring goals for the first team and seemed destined for a glittering career with his boyhood club.
But almost a decade on, he was shown the door by the Red Devils on Sunday.
And Giggs is puzzled to see the England striker with ‘the weight of the world on his shoulders’ — and that engaging smile nowhere to be seen.
Recalling the first time he spotted Rashford, United legend Giggsy said: “It was basically a small-sided, eight-versus-eight game.
“We saw Marcus go past a few players and put it in the bottom corner and then score another goal.
“Me and Louis just looked at each other and went, ‘We’ve got to pick this lad — he’s too good’.
“He came into the first team and, of course, scored on his debut and everyone will remember that smile, that enjoyment and that freedom.
“He had a bit of everything. He was brave, he had no fear, he would take players on and would score all types of goals.”
Thirteen-time Prem winner Giggs spent more than two decades as a player at Old Trafford and is always thrilled to see a kid come through the ranks.
So he is sorry to see Rashford — who joined Aston Villa on loan — losing his way.
Welsh wing wizard Giggs said: “United need young players coming through, one of their own and it just felt that he was the next one.
“But for whatever reason, he’s had a decent career but he’s never gone on to be what I thought he would be.
“More so than anything, he’s a human being and he just doesn’t look happy.
“He looks like he’s got the world on his shoulders.
“And I don’t know why, because the lad who I saw and who I coached didn’t have the world on his shoulders.
“He just played with freedom, he loved the club and was a great lad but he just doesn’t look it now.”
While Rashford’s future now looks to lie away from the Theatre of Dreams, Giggs is hoping the 27-year-old forward can rediscover his love of the game.
He added: “Hopefully, he will find where he was ten years ago and never forget that it is the best job in the world.
Rashford needs to play with that freedom and that enjoyment that got him to where he is now Ryan Giggs
“You should enjoy it because it will soon be over — you’ve got to try to enjoy every minute of it.
“He needs to play with that freedom and that enjoyment that got him to where he is now — and hopefully he does that.”
United coach Ruben Amorim has been critical of Rashford’s efforts in training ever since he took over as manager in November after Erik ten Hag was sacked the month before.
And Giggs said the secret to his own long shelf life at Old Trafford was the hard work he put in at Carrington when things were not going his way.
He added: “I played 20-odd years and you do have highs and you do have lows.
“But if I was ever struggling I would go back to the training ground and make sure that during the week I ate right, I rested, I trained properly and did all the right things and it soon comes back.
“You also need help from your team-mates, your coaches and your manager.
“But, ultimately, you’ve to do it yourself.
“If I was ever not playing great I would ask one of the coaches to do dribbling drills or ask a keeper to go in the net.
“Or ask Gary Neville to do five one-v-ones with me which was to build my confidence.”
GIGGS OPENS UP
The Old Trafford icon was speaking this week at a Q&A with Nobby Stiles’ son John, at an Evening with Ryan Giggs at the BAWA in Bristol.
Giggs explained how he worries United are too reliant on the young players — which is very different to when the legendary Class of ’92 emerged.
The winger hit the big time under Sir Alex Ferguson along with team-mates David Beckham, Gary and Phil Neville, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt.
Giggsy added: “Now you’re asking players who are young and just starting out on their careers to be the difference and to be the difference every week. That’s very difficult for 18, 19, 20-year-old lads.
“You need a squad and you need a team and I know I reference it a lot but for the Class of ’92, we were nothing without the big professionals, the most experienced professionals, around us and we had a lot of help.”
As a former winger, the Welshman has been excited by the emergence of Alejandro Garnacho, 20, and 22-year-old Amad Diallo in recent years.
The pair have provided rare moments of light for United in an otherwise dark few years following the retirement of legendary gaffer Fergie.
Salford co-owner Giggs said: “United has a rich history of wingers and players who express themselves, young players who come into the team and make things happen and those two players do that.
“The ones who have stood out over the last year or so are Garnacho and Diallo.
“They are the United players who seem to make things happen, even though this system doesn’t necessarily suit Garnacho.
“You still feel as though things are going to happen, even though he’s not been brilliant this season.
“Last season, Garnacho was very good and Diallo has probably been the shining light this season.”
