Harry Maguire issues challenge to Marcus Rashford - and reveals what he must do to be the 'great asset' Man United are crying out for

Harry Maguire believes a 'happy, driven and hungry' Marcus Rashford can be an enormous asset to Manchester United this season.

Barcelona turned the chance to make Rashford's loan permanent this summer and he returned to Manchester with questions swirling about whether he could be reintegrated into the squad.

Against Ipswich Town he started for United for the first time in 626 days, going all the way back to 2024, and Maguire is convinced that if Rashford 'wants to work and wants to improve' the sky is the limit again in a United shirt.

'It's been really good since he came in,' Maguire said following the 5-2 win on Sunday.

'He's trained really well and us as players, if Marcus wants to be here and wants to work and wants to improve and wants to help the team, of course, we're willing to have him in the squad.

Marcus Rashford can be a huge asset to Man United if he 'wants to be here and wants to work'

'He's a great talent. You've seen that he's always a threat. I think today, I think he was a threat constantly, and I think he could still do a lot more and I think he'll say that he can do more.

'I think if we keep him fit, we keep him happy, he keeps driven, keeps hungry, and I think he is a great asset to have.'

Rashford would have been right to have questioned whether he would ever pull on a United shirt at Old Trafford again after he was pushed out on loan twice, first to Aston Villa and then to Barcelona.

At 28, he has been through a lot and Maguire believes that adversity can be a strength moving forward when asked if the Rashford he sees now is different to the one he knew before.

'Well, I think also you've got to remember that Marcus has had a wonderful career for this club as well,' he continued.

'When you play at this club for numerous years, there's going to be bad seasons, and when the bad seasons come everyone piles on you. That's part and parcel again for playing this club.

'Marcus was here for, I don't know how many years, and every season wasn't going to be perfect because as a team and as a club, we haven't been perfect from top to bottom and we haven't been challenging at the top end when you're winning Premier Leagues year after year after year.

'It's easy as a player to mingle into that group and play well.

'So Marcus has been part of a rough ride for Manchester United, and when that happens and the team doesn't deliver, players get dug out and he was one of them at that stage.

'I've been through it. Everyone's been through it at this club. He's come back in, he's trained over the summer you can tell, and he's come back really fit sharp and we're excited to have him. Hopefully he can chip in goals.'

Rashford came on in the 2-0 defeat at Hull City and will not have been surprised at the barrage of criticism that came at the team in the aftermath.

Harry Maguire (left) lavished praise on Kobbie Mainoo (right) for his development as a player

For Maguire, the 'crisis' that always seems to swirl outside of the dressing room is something new signings Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba will have to get used to.

'It was an important win, and I think after last week there's so much noise going about and it feels like you're in a crisis after you've lost one game and that's playing for this club,' Maguire explained.

'It's not a crisis for us. I just think the outside makes it, tries to get inside and tries to make it feel like a crisis, but you've got to remain focused.

'I think this season, I think the biggest thing when you play for this club is, when you win, don't get too high and when you lose, don't get too low. I think that's so important for this club and I think the new lads would have had a little bit of a shock over the last week if they've been reading anything or watching TV and things like that.'

Lastly, what did he make of Kobbie Mainoo's performance, a display worthy of man of the match, were it not for the hat-trick heroics of Bruno Fernandes.

'I thought he was brilliant today, Kobbie.

'I think to say he hasn't played for I don't know how long, not really got many minutes in pre-season and things like that, he was magnificent.

'He put a great shift in and I think his work without the ball has improved so much since Michael's been in. That's probably credit to Michael and his staff.

'But I think without the ball now, he's becoming a real monster in there, and I think he wins a lot of second balls. He wins a lot of duels. You won't want to play against him in there and that's the biggest compliment I can give to him from playing and watching him behind.'