Marcus Rashford admitted he wasn't in the right headspace too often last season but is in a much better place after scoring his 100th goal for Manchester United. Rashford's towering first-half header was the difference against West Ham as United earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory to climb up to fifth in the Premier League. It was Rashford's seventh goal of the season, two more than he managed throughout an underwhelming 2021/22 campaign during which his future at Old Trafford came under scrutiny. But after becoming only the 22nd player to score 100 goals for Manchester United, Rashford insists that challenging period is firmly behind him. "It's a complete different energy around the club and the training ground," Rashford told Sky Sports. "That puts me in a better headspace and I just feel really motivated now. That's the area I was struggling in. "I was struggling at times with more mental things. It wasn't really my own performance but other things off the pitch. That's the biggest difference from last season. "I get that it's your job to speak about what happens on the pitch but for the players we have to get into the right headspace for every game. "Too often last season, I wasn't in the right headspace for games. I wasn't surprised by some of the stuff that was happening." Neville on 'stark' Rashford confession: He had to simplify life Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville believes Rashford's commendable work away from football started to have an impact on his performances on the pitch and that the time had come for change. "It is stark to hear Rashford say I wasn't in the right headspace going into a match," Neville said. "There's no doubt there was too much being put into his head off the pitch. Too much. Sometimes you have to simplify your life. "He's doing so much good off the pitch, it's incredible what he's achieving but there comes a point where your bread and butter is your football and I suspect people off the pitch who are close to him, who are probably just pulling him away a little bit from his core, which is his football. That's where he's talking about his head space. For me he's got that back." Neville continued: "There were people that thought he'd have to move away from Manchester United. I thought that would be a shame and hoped that the moment would come back where you'd see him confident again. "There were moments when he's running with real power and strength and flow… but there were times last year where he'd get in that position and he was hesitant and he'd pass it back and take the easy option. "There were also moments last year, when Ronaldo was available, he'd pass it to him like he was subservient to him. I feel now he's willing to take [responsibility] and then play him in when he needs to."
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