"That’s when I have to speak up" - Marcus Rashford breaks his silence amid criticism over his professionalism and commitment to Manchester United
Marcus Rashford has hit out at critics who question his commitment to Manchester United by admitting he's not perfect.
The English forward has endured a difficult season both professionally and personally. He was fined two weeks' wages by the Red Devils last month after calling in sick for training after spending hours out binge drinking.
Marcus Rashford has struggled on the pitch, managing five goals and six assists in 32 games across competitions. He's experienced a major nosedive from his season-best tally of 30 goals and 11 assists in 2022-23.
The 26-year-old feels lines have been crossed and it's time to give his story. He alluded to his representation in the media and his troublesome childhood.
The England international affirmed his commitment to Manchester United and due to question marks regarding this he's decided to speak up. He wrote for The Players' Tribune:
"I’m not a perfect person. When I make a mistake, I’ll be the first one to put my hand up and say that I need to do better. But if you ever question my commitment to Man United, that’s when I have to speak up."
Rashford explained that questioning his commitment to his boyhood club was questioning his entire identity:
"It’s like somebody questioning my entire identity, and everything I stand for as a man. I grew up here. I have played for this club since I was a boy. My family turned down life-changing money when I was a kid so I could wear this badge."
Rashford rose through the youth ranks at Carrington before making his senior debut in February 2016. He's since made 391 appearances for Manchester United, scoring 128 goals and providing 74 assists.
However, the Englishman has also delved into projects away from football during his career. He started a campaign to help feed Britain's children from poor backgrounds.
Rashford alluded to this by suggesting that criticism of him stems from that charitable campaign:
"I think some of it goes back to the pandemic. I was just trying to use my voice to make sure that kids weren’t going hungry, because I know exactly how it feels."
He added:
"For some reason, that seemed to rub certain people the wrong way. It seems like they’ve been waiting for me to have a human moment so they can point the finger and say, “See? See who he really is?”
Marcus Rashford is now one of Manchester United's protagonists and this places a ton of expectations on his shoulders. He's also one of English football's superstars, likely to represent the Three Lions at this summer's European Championships.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag defended Marcus Rashford after his night out drinking
Marcus Rashford was lambasted by many after spending a night out in Belfast drinking into the early hours of the morning. This caused him to call in sick for training and he missed Manchester United's 4-2 win against Newport County in the FA Cup (January 28).
The Red Devils star's character was questioned as well as his respect for manager Erik ten Hag. But, the Dutch coach was clear that the player had taken responsibility for his actions (via ESPN):
"He has taken responsibility and for the rest it's an internal matter, case closed...It's nothing to do with that (lack of respect). As I said, case closed."
There were question marks over Rashford's future at Manchester United in the aftermath of his night out. Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain hold a long-term interest in the attacker but the Red Devils reportedly made it clear they had no plans to sell him.