Marcus Rashford responds to criticism regarding his dedication to Manchester United

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has firmly addressed recent scrutiny surrounding his commitment to the club amid both on-field and off-field challenges. Throughout this season, the 26-year-old England international has encountered questioning regarding his conduct and availability.

In particular, Rashford faced significant attention last month following reports of his presence at a Belfast nightclub, followed by his absence from the subsequent day’s training session due to illness. This absence resulted in his exclusion from Manchester United’s FA Cup fixture against Newport.

However, Rashford has chosen to confront these criticisms head-on, using a platform on the Players’ Tribune website to express his perspective. In a poignant piece, he calls for a more empathetic approach from his detractors, urging them to exhibit “a bit more humanity” in their assessments of him.

“When I make a mistake, I’ll be the first one to put my hand up and say that I need to do better,” he wrote.

“But if you ever question my commitment to Man United, that’s when I have to speak up. 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.

“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 for football and bringing my family into it, then I’d simply ask you to have a bit more humanity.”

In addition to off-field scrutiny, Marcus Rashford has encountered criticism for his on-pitch performances this season, having scored just five goals in 32 appearances across all competitions. The forward has hinted at a perceived bias in media coverage of him, suggesting that it may be influenced by his advocacy efforts during the pandemic, for which he was honored with an MBE due to his campaigning for free school meals.

Rashford added: “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.’

Rashford added: “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. “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.

“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?’.”