“It’s not a surprise to name” – Liverpool legend names 2 Manchester United players who benefitted from Cristiano Ronaldo exit

Liverpool great John Barnes believes the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United has benefited both Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho.

Rashford has been in the form of his life since returning from the Qatar World Cup and has now scored 21 goals across competitions for the Red Devils.

Sancho, on the other hand, was given an extended break by manager Erik ten Hag following individual training sessions in the Netherlands and only recently returned to the squad.

“I think that since Ronaldo has gone, look at Sancho, look at Rashford, a lot of players are doing better because Ronaldo overshadowed them," Barnes told BonusCodeBets.

"I think Rashford had a bit of a dip, because he wanted to be one of the main players of Man Utd, as he is. I think it’s not a surprise to me that you can see an improvement in him since Ronaldo is not there anymore. Rashford is not a centre-forward."

He added:

"As much as he wants to play as a No. 9, he’s getting into the middle, scoring headers, coming in from the wide positions and I think that’s already been settled, in terms of the position he plays.”

"He was overshadowed by the likes of Ronaldo and Fernandes" - John Barnes on Manchester United's Jadon Sancho

Sancho joined Manchester United in an €85 million move from Borussia Dortmund in the 2021 summer transfer window. He hasn't been able to fulfill the expectations but seems to be getting to his best since returning from individual training in the Netherlands.

He recently returned to the Manchester United squad and also scored against Leeds United during the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford last week. Barnes heaped praise on Sancho, saying:

“He’s a fantastic player and he has got great potential. He came to United at a time where the club as a whole was struggling. Having come in for £75m where he was put into the team and he was expected to be one of the main players."

He added:

"He was overshadowed by the likes of Ronaldo and Fernandes so his confidence suffered because he’s a young player. They’re now handling him with care. He’s going to be playing with a lot more confidence and the future looks bright at United with young players being given their chance.”