Erik ten Hag uses Cristiano Ronaldo analogy to praise Marcus Rashford after Southampton goal

Erik ten Hag has backed Marcus Rashford to start racking up the goals after ending his drought in Manchester United's 3-0 win over Southampton, borrowing a quote from Cristiano Ronaldo in the process.

The under-fire Rashford, who has lost his place in the England setup, ended a run of 12 games without a goal as he added United's second against the Saints on Saturday with a fierce low strike. It was a much-needed boost for Rashford, who faced significant criticism for a poor performance against Liverpool before the international break.

Praising the United academy graduate, Ten Hag used Ronaldo's 14-year-old comparison of goals to ketchup - the idea that "when it comes out [of the bottle] it all comes out at once".

"Once a striker was talking about a ketchup bottle, once it's going, it's coming more," Ten Hag said, notably declining to name Ronaldo. "It is very important for him.

"We don't pay attention to what the outside world is telling [us], but it was too much negativity to him because he created two great chances [against Liverpool], 100% chances in that game and also in other games. He was playing very well and deserved a goal. Then you get your reward.

"He scored a great goal and for his age, the number of goals he has is amazing, and I'm sure he will score many more goals. To get into the season for every striker it is so important to be on the scoresheet so you can build momentum, build belief and then more goals can come."

Ten Hag's call-back to Ronaldo comes just a few days after the boss hit back at the Portugal international's criticism of his management style.

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