Roy Keane has called Marcus Rashford an “idiot” for his behavior after the Man United striker was spotted in a Belfast nightclub last week before missing training.
The former Man United captain also urged the 26-year-old to forget about flashy cars and glamorous watches and focus on putting his football first.
It comes after images emerged on social media last week showing the United striker entering Thompsons Garage nightclub in Belfast, before missing a training session at Carrington on Friday morning.
Erik ten Hag had stated that the official reason for his absence was due to “illness”, and reports claimed that Rashford had had a “12-hour tequila drink” and had subsequently angered several of his teammates afterward. of being absent from training.
The striker has now “taken responsibility” for the incident, but former United captain Keane has urged Rashford to focus on his football.
Talking about the Stay with the football podcastbrought to you by sky betKeane said: ‘We talked about him [Marcus Rashford]He is a young kid, with a lot of pressure and local, but it seems that he no longer enjoys football.
Roy Keane urged Man United forward Marcus Rashford to put his football first
It comes after Rashford accepted the blame for missing training last week after being spotted in a Belfast nightclub.
Rashford was spotted entering Belfast’s Thompsons Garage nightclub last week.
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‘What happens on and off the field goes hand in hand.
“For him, football is an arduous task and it shouldn’t be. There is pressure on everyone there, but he is a great player for Manchester United. He’s already shown before that he can produce.
And he added: “Cars, watches, all that is great, but don’t forget the first thing: your football.” Good luck with everything else, but if that’s becoming more important than your football, then you’re in trouble.”
Rashford was not selected for Man United’s 4-2 FA Cup fourth round victory against Newport County and his agent brother, Dwaine Maynard, held talks with the Man United boss on Monday.
On Wednesday, Ten Hag claimed the “case was now closed” and echoed Keane’s comments that the 26-year-old needed to focus on football.
“First of all, players at this level need to manage themselves, that’s what can be demanded of the player,” Ten Hag told a press conference ahead of United’s game against Wolves on Thursday. “The player has to know what is good and what is not.”
Despite that, Keane admitted that everyone makes mistakes, stating that he never thought Rashford was perfect.
‘I don’t think he [Marcus Rashford] He was always this perfect,” he added on the podcast. ‘The things he was doing off the field, which he gets a lot of credit for.
Thompsons Garage is located in Belfast city center and is open seven nights a week.
The forward, owner of a Lamborghini Urus, would have missed training due to illness
The club has dealt with the issue internally, but Keane believes playing football “seems like an arduous task” for the 26-year-old striker.
Keane also claimed that his behavior was like that of an “idiot” who claimed he had made too many mistakes too close together.
Keane urged Rashford to ditch flashy cars and glamorous watches
Rashford had missed United’s clash against Newport County at the weekend, and Ten Hag called on the striker to “focus on football”.
“I never thought he had a halo over his head, but I also don’t think for a minute that he’s some kind of nasty guy.
“I think he’s certainly made some mistakes very close to each other. Manchester United’s profile, the fact that United are struggling, is an easy target; their decision making at the moment is obviously not very good.
‘He is 26 years old; We’ve all been there and made silly mistakes. I don’t think his attitude is one of not caring about the game, but his behavior is that of an idiot.
They are making some mistakes behind each other’s backs. It’s high profile now, we see people on their phones, wanting to call and get players in trouble.
“It’s giving people a chance to pursue it.”
Rashford had been involved in a similar incident in October 2023, following Man United’s 3-0 defeat to City’s rivals Man City.
He had risked angering his manager after he was pictured heading to high-end Manchester nightclub Chinawhite to celebrate his 26th birthday.
Ten Hag had stated after that incident: ”I spoke to him about this. It is unacceptable. He apologized and that’s it. For us it is an internal matter. He [Rashford] He is very motivated to fix things. He is totally with us.
“He made a mistake, but that doesn’t mean he’s not fitting in. I see him every day in training, what he’s doing, I know.”
Off the field, Rashford has previously been hailed as the first modern “activist footballer” and millionaire with a social conscience that matched his brilliant performances on the football field.
Rashford had raised £20m to fight poverty, lobbied Downing Street over child hunger and was also appointed MBE in 2020 by the Queen for a campaign to help provide free school meals.
Rashford had previously risked the wrath of Ten Hag after going out on a night out following Man United’s 3-0 defeat to Man City in October.
Rashford, who successfully campaigned during the coronavirus lockdown to force the British government to give free food vouchers to poor families, appeared on the cover of Vogue in 2020.
Roy Keane was speaking at the Stay with the football podcastbrought to you by sky bet.