ESPN: Rashford and Hoylen become latest players to excel after leaving Manchester United

October 10th News Although Manchester United is no longer the all-conquering team of the past, it is still an honor to wear the Red Devils jersey. However, with that comes tremendous pressure for players to live up to the high expectations of their fans. Some players thrive in this environment, but there are also many who decline due to excessive pressure and lose their main position, or even sit on the bench for a long time.

However, some players who fell into a trough at Manchester United ushered in a turning point in their careers after leaving. This phenomenon is called the "post-Manchester United rebound." This season we have seen players such as Rashford, Hoylen and Onana quickly regain their form after leaving the Red Devils. ESPN took stock of the performance of these three players.

Rashford

Due to unstable condition and low confidence, Rashford was loaned out by Manchester United at the beginning of this year. He first spent half a season on loan at Villa, and then Barcelona loaned him out for a year in this summer transfer window. Rashford, now 27, looks to have had a burden lifted and has regained his confidence. He scored three goals and provided four assists in Barcelona's first 10 games, including a brace against Newcastle United in the Champions League, which earned him a standing ovation from the home fans.

Onana

Onana performed poorly under Ten Hag and Amorim. He made many mistakes in important games and eventually lost his starting position and was allowed to leave the team. The Cameroon international joined Trabzonspor on loan this season and was named man of the match on his debut, despite losing 1-0. In his second game, he even contributed an assist, helping the team equalize the score in a 1-1 draw with Gacinta BB.

Hoylen

Due to few goals last season, Hoylen was excluded from the Manchester United lineup at the beginning of the 2025-26 season until Naples offered him an olive branch in September. The 22-year-old Danish striker has scored just four goals in the Premier League but has netted four in Napoli's first six games, including a brace against Sporting CP in the Champions League and the winner against Genoa before the international break.

Before this season, McTominay, Anthony, Dean Henderson and De Gea also performed well after leaving Manchester United.