Little is known that Marcus Rashford has endured significant emotional pain that has had a considerable impact on the mental well-being of the Manchester United forward. The hardships faced by Rashford were first revealed by his mother, Melanie Maynard. In an article published in The Times, authored by Melanie herself, she disclosed that Rashford had been devastated by the loss of two loved ones in a short period of time.
The Queen bestowed upon Marcus the MBE medal in recognition of his contributions. Marcus, through diligence, secured a new contract with his youth football team. His affection for Manchester United (MU) is profound. He delivered an extraordinary performance in the previous season, scoring 30 goals and providing 11 assists to earn a new contract, as reported by Melanie in The Times.
However, Marcus suffered the loss of his second significant person in his life: his cousin Nathan, in November last year. Just a year before, Garf, a close family friend, also passed away. These two profound losses plunged Rashford into darkness, a burden too heavy for such a young man, as disclosed by Melanie regarding the tragedy her son endured.
In January, Rashford was embroiled in a drunken incident in Belfast, resulting in his absence from training with MU. Consequently, the English forward was fined two weeks’ wages by the club, amounting to £650,000. Moreover, Rashford’s pivotal role in the dressing room was also affected.
Reflecting on her son’s unfortunate incident, Melanie cautioned Rashford about the “ill intentions of those around him.”
“Marcus is only human. He, too, will experience ups and downs in life like everyone else. He is at a very good club, and he does not want to disappoint anyone. But you must always be wary of those around you. Sometimes, those around you are wolves in sheep’s clothing,” Melanie wrote in The Times.
Melanie expressed optimism about the current situation: “Following the superb victory against Liverpool in the FA Cup and his call-up to the England national team, it seems that everything is brightening up for Marcus.”
In November last year, Rashford celebrated his goal against Everton by paying tribute to his ill-fated cousin. “I want to dedicate yesterday’s goal to my cousin, who recently passed away,” the MU forward shared on his social media platform.
Rashford has also fiercely responded to criticism aimed at him. In an interview with The Players Tribune, the 26-year-old admitted, “I am not perfect. But if you question my loyalty to MU, I will speak up.
“I have made the mistakes of many 20-year-old boys, and I always try to learn from them. But I have also made silent sacrifices that no one sees. What I want you to understand is that money is not what helps me through crises. It is my love for football, plain and simple.”
Rashford is fortunate to have an incredibly strong mother. Melanie Maynard is a single mother who had to shoulder the burden of raising her family through hardship. Melanie once revealed that when Rashford was young, their household was so impoverished that they couldn’t afford a loaf of bread. She had to work tirelessly to provide for Rashford and his siblings, even sacrificing her own meals to ensure they didn’t go hungry.