by Marcus Rashford has hit back at criticism of his lifestyle and commitment to Manchester United and believes he suffered a backlash over his campaign on child food poverty which “seemed to rub some people the wrong way”.
Alan Shearer criticized Rashford for his body language in the FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest, and the former England star insisted that “as an individual you have to take responsibility now and again for your actions on the pitch”.
The United forward, 26, suggested there is a “tone” to the coverage he receives that other footballers are not subjected to, suggesting bias. He has taken “responsibility for his actions” this season after reporting he was ill to train in Belfast two nights earlier.
“It can’t be about me as a 26-year-old on a night out, or a lad getting a parking ticket,” Rashford wrote on the Players’ Tribune website. “It has to be around what my car costs, guessing my weekly salary, my jewelry or even my tattoos. It has to be about my body language, and questioning my morals, and speculating about my family, and my football future. There are moments that you don’t get along with every footballer. Let’s just leave it at that.
“I think some of it goes back to the pandemic. I just wanted to use my voice to make sure kids didn’t go hungry, because I know exactly how it feels. For some reason, that seemed to rub some people the wrong way. It’s like they’re waiting for me to have a human moment so they can point the finger and say, “See? See who he really is?”
Rashford received an MBE and was internationally recognized for his work in providing free school meals in England during holidays and other support for low-income families. On the pitch, last season was United’s most successful campaign in terms of goals but he has seen a drop in form this season and questions about his commitment.
He revealed he turned down “life-changing” money to stay in United’s academy, and also tried out playing for another team before returning to his boyhood club.
“Listen, I’m not perfect. When I make a mistake, I’m the first to put my hand up and say I need to do better,” he said. “But if you ever question my commitment to Man United, that’s when I have to speak up. It’s like someone is questioning my entire identity, and everything I stand for as a man. I grew up here. I have been playing for this club since I was a boy. My family turned down money that changed my life when I was a child so I could wear this badge.
“I can take any criticism. I can take any headline. From podcasts, social media and the papers. I can take it. But if you start questioning my commitment to this club and my love of football and bringing my family into it, I would just ask you to have a little more humanity.”
Rashford played in the defeat against Fulham that ended United’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League last weekend.
“I promise you the world has not seen the best of the United squad and these players,” he said. “We want to be back playing in the Champions League, then we have a huge international competition at the end of the season. We will be back where we belong. We just have to keep working, and that starts with me.”
Rashford on…
Young
Rashford described the public version of his upbringing as “just scratching the surface” and that there was more to his childhood than being from Wythenshawe, in south Manchester. That’s where he lived with his mother but he also stayed with his aunt in Hulme, in Moss Side with his grandmother and brother in Chorlton. “I wouldn’t change any of it, as hard as it was, because it shaped me into who I am,” he wrote. When he started at the age of seven, he took four buses across Manchester to train at The Cliff. “Someone had to quit work to go with me because no one in our family had a car,” he wrote. “No one even had a license. In their early days, it was two buses into town, then we had to walk through the city to get to the next bus out of town to get to Salford. Even in the pouring rain. There is nothing really good to eat.”
Offers to leave United
By the time he was 11 years old, other clubs were trying to tempt the Rashfords to move him away from United. At that age, his family was in charge of his affairs, rather than an agent and Rashford discusses a family meeting where he made it clear that he wanted to play for United. “A couple of clubs offered us money which changed lives. We’ll buy a house for the family, we’ll put cars in your garage,” he wrote. “We will change your family’s life. At the time, my mother was working as a cashier at Ladbrokes. My brother worked for AA. They had every right to say to me, ‘Take the deal’.” Rashford also reveals that he was playing two games for a different Academy but telling his family he wanted to return to United. This was a big risk, says Rashford, insisting “we pledge everything to ourselves – all our chips”.
Mistakes
Rashford was accused of 2,000 words by allegations that he was not committed to United but there were incidents where his professionalism was questioned under Erik Ten Hag. He had drowned after sleeping in and missing a team meeting. This season he has been criticized by his manager for holding a birthday party on the evening of the Manchester derby loss, then disciplined for going to Belfast and partying before missing training due to illness. “I am a human being. I’ve made mistakes that a lot of guys in their 20s make, and I’ve tried to learn from them. But I have also made sacrifices that no one sees,” he added. “What 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.”
Criticism is fueling it
Rashford gives very little away when he speaks in public. It can be seen from afar. He appeared to be one of the most driven players in the Premier League last season and says that now, with questions about his commitment, he is fueled by the criticism leveled at him. “I don’t care when people doubt me. When everyone is telling me they love me, I doubt it,” he wrote. “I know how the world works. I really had to be a young man. Always had to rely on myself. Whenever I’m in the darkest places, and it feels like half the world is against me, I usually go away by myself for a few days and reset, and then I’m good.”
Fans
Interestingly, Rashford feeds off the energy of the fans and the way they create an atmosphere – good or bad – is clearly picked up by the United players. City have been the dominant team in Manchester – and in the Premier League – since Rashford broke into the first team at United and he describes the period at Old Trafford as “a period of transition”. “When we win, you are the biggest fan in the world,” he wrote. He calls for more of that “old school positive energy” and mentioned that supporters may underestimate what a powerful force they can be in pushing the team forward. Perhaps Rashford, he writes, is involved because he is a fan himself and understands the rivalry with City and Liverpool. He remembers crashing into a fight with James Milner, a friend of his, because the emotion of the derby was overwhelming.
Current squad
This is a United team that won a trophy last season and got into the top four. This season they have eaten at the top of the European table but have hardly looked like they belong. Rashford’s message is that they can get back there soon and the current squad of players can improve. After last weekend’s win over Fulham, there was talk of entering the transfer market from the manager but Rashford says there is room for improvement at the inside.
