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Marcus Rashford, Manchester United
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Ryan Giggs gives advice to Marcus Rashford on ending his goal drought

It’s been two-and-a-half months since Rashford last scored.

MARCUS RASHFORD NEEDS to get back to basics in order to end his Manchester United goal drought, according to Ryan Giggs.

The United forward has failed to score for club or country since his strike against Leicester City back in September.

Old Trafford legend Giggs, who left his role as assistant manager in the close-season, thinks Rashford, 19, could have missed out on some stages of his development due to his rapid rise to the first team and had advice on how the England international can return to form.

“There is one problem with being an early developer in football and that is you miss out on some of the basics that are standard for young players who progress more slowly from youth team sides, to the reserves – as it was in those days – and then gradually into the first team,” Giggs wrote in The Telegraph.

“We are all keen to see academy lads make it through the ranks now, and rightly so, but we also have to understand the problems they might face even once they make it.

“To put it simply you miss out on some of the basics that complete your education as a young player. First team training is all geared towards the next game, and they come thick and fast.

“You are into a flow of playing and then recovery and then preparation. What you miss out on is honing those basics that you do in training with your peer group: crossing, finishing, adapting to different positions and what might be asked of you.

“As things stand he has not scored since the Leicester City game on Sept 24 and, like any goalscorer that will be playing on his mind. But lean periods like this are common for many young players.”

Giggs continued: “I hope Marcus Rashford isn’t going to suffer from that now. He is an excellent young player who fully deserved his breakthrough for United in February in that Europa League tie against Midtjylland last season.

“Of course, the night itself at Old Trafford he just took that chance himself but what he had done before [in training and for the Under-21 team] meant there was no hesitation about putting him in the first team when Anthony Martial was injured.

“That was a great example of a young player seizing his opportunity and then breaking into the England squad for Euro 2016 too, but there is no harm 10 months later to going back to the basics and making sure you feel right.

“Like all good teenage players, Marcus has time on his side.”

Giggs thinks Rashford needs to work on his game and embrace any chance he gets to play out wide before he eventually becomes United’s first-choice number nine.

He added: “Marcus will be a centre-forward one day and that is his strongest position but it is natural that at his age he is asked to fit in around more established players – it was no different for me.

“He will know that he needs to spend time adjusting his game to playing wide.

“That might mean asking one of his team-mates from the development squad to play as a defender against him after training while he tries to get crosses in, and also learning the defensive positions that he has to take up.

“For young lads in this position it is often something that you have to push for yourself.”

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