Marcus Rashford has “accepted responsibility for his actions” after being called up for crisis talks with manager Erik ten Hag, amid growing concerns at Manchester United over his off-the-field problems.
The club confirmed they had held a disciplinary meeting with Rashford after the England forward called in sick on Friday, having been photographed in Belfast the previous two nights. Rashford then missed Sunday’s 4-2 win over Newport in the FA Cup.
United would not reveal what action had been taken against Rashford, but The Sun newspaper claimed he had been fined £650,000, the equivalent of two weeks’ wages, and had been dropped for the Newport match.
A waitress told The Sun that Rashford drank tequila for 12 hours in Belfast and had to be put to bed after passing out at 3am. She claims the England international invited her to his night out at Thompson’s Garage club after she served him lunch.
Sarah Adair, 30, told The Sun she joined Rashford and his entourage on Thursday evening after the United striker reportedly asked her where they could go, which would remain open later than 3am. “That made it clear to me that he had already decided that he would not train on Friday. He had no intention of going home that night,” she claimed.
The report adds that Rashford flew to Manchester on a private jet at 7am on Friday morning before calling in sick for training.
‘Marcus has taken responsibility for his actions’
Rashford arrived at United’s training headquarters in Carrington early on Monday morning with his brother and agent Dwaine Maynard, arriving separately for the summit with Ten Hag and director of football John Murtough.
Rashford missed training on both Friday and Saturday and therefore did not travel to Newport with the rest of the team. He is said to have recovered on Sunday and reported himself available to play and prepared to travel to South Wales, where he would be instructed by Ten Hag to remain and train in Carrington.
“Marcus has taken responsibility for his actions,” a club statement said. “This has been dealt with as an internal disciplinary matter, which has now been closed.”
Club sources confirmed that the England international is back in training and will be available for selection for United’s trip to Wolves on Thursday. Ten Hag said on Sunday that it was an “internal matter” and that he would “deal with Rashford”.
Last season Rashford was United’s top scorer with thirty goals, but this season Rashford’s form has deteriorated. The striker only found the net four times and consistently looked dejected. There is some concern that there may be other issues at play.
Rashford’s mood and general demeanor couldn’t have been a stark contrast to last season, when he was in the form of his life after overcoming a torrid 18 months.
The latest incident comes just three months after Rashford was reprimanded by Ten Hag for going out until the early hours following the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in October, despite United having trained that morning.
Ten Hag’s dealings with Rashford under scrutiny
United’s difficult season has been plagued by off-the-field problems. Ten Hag has had to deal with a number of disciplinary issues, including those surrounding Antony and Jadon Sancho, who joined Borussia Dortmund on loan this month after being banned by the manager in September.
How the manager treats Rashford will be interesting going forward. Ten Hag was criticized in some quarters for his handling of Sancho after the England striker took to social media to effectively accuse his manager of lying about the reasons for his absence against Arsenal earlier this season.
Sancho was eventually banned from the first team and was forced to change clothes and eat alone before being loaned out to Dortmund this month.
Rashford was blank-faced as he arrived at Carrington on Monday in his Lamborghini Urus, while his brother Dwaine drove in separately. Murtough is also said to have been present at the discussions with Ten Hag.
Although Ten Hag will have wanted an explanation for the chronology surrounding Rashford’s trip to Belfast, United would like to understand what is going on with the player.
Rashford had trained on Wednesday before flying to Belfast, with a planned day off for United’s players on Thursday.
Footage then emerged of Rashford, reportedly at Thompson’s Garage nightclub, which United suggested was taken on Wednesday. The club have since refused to comment on claims that the photos were actually taken on Thursday, while a photo of Rashford in Lavery’s bar was reportedly taken on Wednesday evening.
Rashford’s visit to Belfast coincided with his friend and former United youth teammate Ro-Shaun Williams signing for Northern Irish club Larne, who publicized his visit on social media.
‘Marcus should lead the team’
Former England striker Alan Shearer claimed at the weekend that “something is going on” with Rashford. “Something is clearly wrong,” he said. “Either at home or his relationship with the football club, because he can’t keep doing this. He can’t waste his talent.”
Rio Ferdinand believes Rashford should be one of the players to guide United through their current problems.
“Marcus should be the man to lead that team,” the former United defender said on his FIVE YouTube channel. ‘None of us were saints. Scholesy [Paul Scholes]Everyone thinks he’s the quietest guy, but sometimes on a night out he was crazy. He was supposed to be on the road, one of the last to go home, but you try to do it at the right time.
“We had a great time. It would all go back to the manager [Sir Alex Ferguson]. You have to have the awareness, it’s not the manager who knows everything, the damn world knows, you have to be more diligent and careful. If he does that now with Marcus, he would go for a lot of money on the market.
“I hate talking about all this stuff outside of the 90 minutes. But it pops up all the time. It’s been happening for years. There are so many different scenarios we talk about, outside the game, and it is up to the club, the players and the manager to create a culture where people are kept in check.”
Ferdinand said United needed to get to grips with the continued negative headlines surrounding players. “Who else has to deal with this kind of stupidity?” he said. “Who else has to deal with these behavioral problems, these legends, these great personalities who do what they think is right at the time?
“We are dealing with someone who faces a lot of problems in the eyes of the public, we are the biggest club in the world. It’s unprecedented. He doesn’t let people get away with it, which I like.
“There is a point where it is trust. Can this manager trust the players not to appear at the top of the front, center and back pages? He can’t do that. He can’t be confident he can concentrate on football at the moment.
“I think Erik ten Hag has to be strong, solid and consistent. Where is he going now? Who does he lean on? If he does it with Sancho, he has a Rashford or [Alejandro] Garnacho is over there.’
Antony was placed on paid leave earlier this season as he battles assault allegations from an ex-girlfriend, which he vehemently denies. The Brazilian winger claimed his first goal and assist of the season in the win at Newport and hopes it marks a turning point.
“I have fought hard to reach the level of playing for this club, I know I can build on this [this] perform and continue to show my qualities,” he said. “I pushed myself day after day for better performances, I will continue to put myself completely out there to improve the football and play what Manchester United hired me for. The whole club, every fan, deserves the best from each of us. United is one of the most important clubs in the world, where everyone wants to be and that’s where I want to build my story.”