The latest update on 29 January 2024 confirms that Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has accepted responsibility for his actions following reports of him frequenting nightspots in Northern Ireland on Wednesday and Thursday evening. The club has addressed the issue internally and considers the matter closed. Rashford has resumed training and is expected to be available for selection for United’s Premier League match against Wolves on Thursday.
United’s manager, Erik ten Hag, confirmed that Rashford reported ill and that the rest of the situation would be handled internally. The issue was managed by Ten Hag, football director John Murtough, and interim chief executive Patrick Stewart. Rashford, accompanied by his brother Dwaine, a member of his representative team, was present at United’s training ground on Monday.
This isn’t the first time Rashford has faced disciplinary action this season. He was previously dropped from the starting line-up for the Carabao Cup fourth-round defeat by Newcastle in November due to disciplinary reasons. Ten Hag expressed dissatisfaction with Rashford celebrating his birthday at an exclusive Manchester nightspot shortly after a disappointing 3-0 defeat by Manchester City.
In a previous incident, Rashford was benched for a Premier League match against Wolves last season for oversleeping and arriving late to a team meeting. Despite this, he managed to score the winning goal after being brought in from the bench.
Rashford’s performance this season has been underwhelming, with only four goals scored compared to his career-best of 30 last season.
Former Blackburn striker Chris Sutton criticized Rashford’s lack of respect for Ten Hag and his teammates on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club. Leicester City defender Conor Coady also expressed concern about Rashford’s behavior, suggesting there might be unknown factors at play.
Alan Shearer, former England striker, commented on BBC One on Sunday about the need for strong management to guide Rashford and prevent him from wasting his talent. He emphasized the importance of avoiding regrets at the end of his career.