Rashford insists commitment to Man U not in doubt
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has hit back at critics questioning his commitment to the club but has admitted he has “made mistakes”.
The 26-year-old was recently the subject of internal disciplinary proceedings at Man Utd after an unsanctioned trip to Belfast last month saw him report ill for training and miss the FA Cup third-round win at Newport.
READ ALSO Olympics 2024: Australia thrash Uzbekistan 10-0 to qualify
Rashford was also criticised earlier this season for going to a nightclub after October’s 3-0 derby defeat to Manchester City.
The England forward has struggled on the pitch too this season, scoring just five goals in 32 games across all competitions, while his body language and overall demeanour throughout the campaign has been questioned.
But Rashford has now broken his silence over both his form and off-pitch issues in a first-person account on The Players’ Tribune in which he also says he believes he has been unfairly targeted by the media because of his campaigning over free school meals in England during the coronavirus pandemic.
He said: “I don’t normally like to respond to things said about me. It’s not in my nature. I’m an introvert. I don’t even like talking about myself, unless I really know you. So 99 per cent of the time, I can ignore the noise. But sometimes, certain lines get crossed, and I can’t help but want people to just understand who I am as a person.
“I’m not trying to have a go at the media. I understand the game, you know what I mean? They’re not really writing about me. It’s like they’re writing about this character, ‘Marcus Rashford’. It can’t just be about me as a 26-year-old lad on a night out, or a lad getting a parking ticket. It’s got to be about how much my car costs, guessing my weekly salary, my jewellery or even my tattoos. It’s got to be about my body language, and questioning my morals, and speculating about my family, and my football future. There’s a tone to it that you don’t get with all footballers. Let’s just leave it at that.
READ ALSO GET BEHIND ME: Rashford puts wrecked Rolls Royce on auction
He added: “Listen, the thing is, football can be a bubble. I have tried to stay a normal person. I have tried to keep my same friends. I have tried my best not to change, even when I’m on a night out or on holiday. But there’s another side to that. I’m a human being. I’ve made mistakes that a lot of lads in their 20s make, and I’ve tried to learn from them. But I’ve also made sacrifices that nobody sees. The thing that I want you to understand is that money is not what keeps you playing through the hard times. It’s the love of the game, plain and simple.