Marcus Rashford has hit out after recent media coverage of the striker questioned some of his failings.
Off the field he was in the headlines twice on two nights, once at Chinawhites in Manchester and once in Belfast. The latter led to a disciplinary meeting at Carrington and he was subsequently left out of the squad for the FA Cup tie against Newport.
“What is written about me is 90 percent wrong. The latest in the media was more of the same. For me it’s not new. For my family, it’s killing them a little bit,” Rashford told The Players Tribune.
“They want the publicity, they want the attraction.
“In the recent stories I see about myself, there are one or two facts about the situation and the rest, someone just went off on their own and proceeded to guess what an evening or a day with me would be like.”
Previously, Rashford would well have been considered for the club’s captaincy, considering he will play almost 400 games for Manchester United, but that leadership role is more distant than ever.
At times this season his performances on the field were far from what he was capable of. He has only scored 6 goals this season, one for England, while last season he scored 30 goals in all competitions.
Marcus Rashford has not reached his previous high standards in recent games
(REUTERS)
However, questioning his commitment to the club appears to have proven to be a sticking point for the striker.
“Listen, I’m not a perfect person. If I make a mistake, I will be the first to raise my hand and say I have to do better,” Rashford said.
“But if you ever question my commitment to Man United then I have to speak out. 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 child. When I was a child, my family turned down life-changing money so I could wear this badge.”
Rashford has appeared to be low on confidence in recent games and has been widely criticized by pundits including Jamie Carragher and Alan Shearer.
The striker himself said: “I can take any criticism. I can understand every heading. From podcasts, social media and the newspapers. I can take this.
“But if you start to question my commitment to this club and my love for football and the integration of my family, then I would just ask you for a little more humanity.”
