Top contenders for the Manchester United Player of the Year: January 2019

#2 Marcus Rashford

Newcastle United v Manchester United - Premier League

From the boy who looked lost under Mourinho to the determined young man who is second among the contenders for the Manchester United Player of the Year Award, Marcus Rashford's rise this season has been nothing short of spectacular.

Under Mourinho's rigid tactics, Rashford's talent was on the verge of drying up. The Englishman was expected to track back every time the opposition came knocking. He was burdened with a lot of defensive responsibilities and he came close to cracking as was evident with the first red card of his career against Burnley, a result of too much aggression in his game.

Under Mourinho, Rashford looked like a sad child, and while he did have an impact off the bench on a couple of occasions, his development had stopped. He had almost gone backwards and United were on the verge of losing a phenomenal talent.

This is where the contribution of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to the Englishman's life is of vital importance. The Norwegian rejuvenated the youngster and got him back to playing his natural game. And Rashford has been phenomenal in his last 4 starts, scoring 3 goals and picking up an assist. The Englishman now has 7 goals and 6 assists from 25 appearances this season. At Manchester United, he is only behind Paul Pogba in the number of shots attempted and the shots on target.

Rashford looks the most dangerous of the front three right now, as he already looks like one of the players of the year and more of the same performance could enable him to finish the season with that coveted trophy in his hands for the first time.