Rashford's Man Utd status 'tarnished' as squad reaction to Belfast trip emerges

Rashford’s Man Utd status ‘tarnished’ as squad reaction to Belfast trip emerges

Marcus Rashford’s status in the Manchester United dressing room has reportedly been ‘tarnished’ by his antics earlier in the campaign. The forward skipped training at the end of January after a late-night bender in Belfast saw him call in sick the following day ahead of his side’s clash with Newport in the FA Cup.

Rashford has come under significant criticism so far this season, most notably following his trip to Belfast but also having failed to hit the heights of his 2022/23 campaign under Erik ten Hag. The versatile forward has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford as a result, with Paris Saint-Germain among his suitors.

The 26-year-old looked to silence his doubters over the weekend when opening the scoring against Manchester City with a stunning 25-yard strike, though he reportedly still has work to do to win back the support of the whole of the Utd dressing room.

According to the Daily Mail, Rashford’s senior figure status in the dressing room has been ‘tarnished’ by his tequila-fuelled night out in Belfast.

Some United stars felt ‘let down’ by the behaviour of the No. 10 and have taken a ‘dim view’ on the matter, despite his almost-instant return to the first team. Ten Hag has insisted that the issue is behind the team though, with the Dutchman focusing on guiding the club to the Champions League.

The Red Devils have endured a shaky season so far, with injuries and poor form meaning that the club sit in sixth place in the table and 11 points outside of the top four. As a result, several key figures in the club are starting to feel the heat, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s recent comments on a shakeup at the Theatre of Dreams only intensifying the situation.