Wayne Rooney has pushed Marcus Rashford to be’more ruthless’ in front of goal following the Manchester United forward’s torrid night against Nottingham Forest.

The England international was fairly anonymous at the City Ground, where Casemiro’s late strike secured a 1-0 victory and sent United to the FA Cup quarterfinals, where they will meet Liverpool.

Rasmus Hojlund was out injured, thus Rashford took over as United’s main striker, with Alejandro Garnacho moving to the left wing to make room for Antony on the right.

However, Erik ten Hag’s tactical change failed to pay off, as Rashford squandered two golden chances and had a penalty claim turned down by referee Christopher Kavanagh in the second half.

Rooney advised his former teammate should be more patient in front of goal, but admitted his troubles were aggravated by a lack of opportunities.

‘You need the team to generate chances for you if you’re playing as a number nine,’ the former United striker told the BBC, where he featured as a commentator alongside Gary Lineker and Jermaine Jenas.

‘Marcus Rashford must be more ruthless, patient, and remain in the center of the goal. You simply want to see more from him.

Rashford’s performance on Wednesday night reflected a rough season for the 26-year-old, who has struggled both on and off the pitch.

United’s No. 10 has only five goals in 32 appearances in all competitions this season, despite scoring a career-high 30 goals last season, becoming the first United player to reach the milestone since Robin Van Persie in 2012-13.

A dearth of goals has been accompanied by speculations of a schism with ten Hag, with the Dutchman apparently unimpressed by the player’s 12-hour drinking spree in Belfast last month.

And Rooney believed Rashford’s disappointing performance was due to a lack of confidence.

‘Confidence is the major problem; he hasn’t been scoring consistently this season, and he may need to simplify his game to get back in the groove,’ he explained.

‘He’s not the most talkative guy. His body language isn’t always fantastic, but that’s not who he is. The veteran players need to get more out of him and get him motivated.

Speaking before the game, Rooney stated:

‘He’s a player who has emerged; he has a lot of promise and has already demonstrated it, but I believe he has struggled this season for a variety of reasons.

‘We’ve definitely seen something in the headlines. But for Marcus, the essential goal is to get your head down and, more importantly, work hard; I believe that is what everyone wants to see.

‘His ability will bring him the goals; we want Marcus to enjoy his football while still working hard for the team; that’s what everyone wants to see.’

Rooney’s comments came after Alan Shearer’s harsh evaluation of Rashford in the first half.

Shearer, who was working as a pundit for the BBC during the game, led the criticism of the striker, urging him to take greater responsibility for his actions.

Come on Marcus, get up. “Stop waving your arms around,” he urged. ‘You need to perform better.

‘I dislike his body language at times. He’s attempting to convey a message to the supporters, and it’s not my responsibility.

‘As an individual, you must occasionally accept responsibility for your conduct on the field. Get up and get on with it.

‘Marcus Rashford still needs to deliver the right message to the fans through his body language, which he hasn’t always done this season. He is becoming frustrated.