Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes Marcus Rashford’s time at the club is over after his professionalism was questioned by manager Ruben Amorim.
Rio Ferdinand has claimed that “there’s no way back into the team” for Marcus Rashford at Manchester United after manager Ruben Amorim stated he would prefer to include his goalkeeping coach in the matchday squad.
Rashford, 27, has not played for United since December 12, with Amorim leaving him out of the squad for every game since, except for one, in which he was an unused substitute.
Rashford was once again excluded from United’s last matchday squad for the 1-0 win over Fulham, where Amorim’s side scored through Lisandro Martinez’s deflected strike — their only shot on target. When asked why he had not included Rashford for Sunday’s 1-0 win at Fulham, Amorim referred to the England international’s effort in training, making a pointed remark about Jorge Vital, United’s 63-year-old goalkeeping coach.
“The reason is the training, what I think a footballer should do in training, in life and every day… I will put (in) Vital before I put (in) a player who doesn’t give the maximum every day,” Amorim revealed in his post-match press conference at Craven Cottage.
“If things don’t change, I will not change. It’s the same situation for every player, if you do the maximum and right things we can use every player.
“You can see on the bench we miss a bit of pace on the bench. But I would put [Man Utd goalkeeper coach Jorge] Vital before a player who doesn’t give the maximum every day.”
Ferdinand’s Reaction: ‘No Way Back’ for Rashford
Former United defender Rio Ferdinand, who won six Premier League titles and the Champions League during his decorated 12-year career at Old Trafford, said Rashford will have to leave the club.
“If I was the player the manager said that about, my heart, my pride, my ego – it’s embarrassment,” said Ferdinand on his Rio Presents YouTube channel.
“We all have days off or moments when we’re not performing well, lacking confidence, but effort isn’t really one of the things I would want to be hearing a manager say is lacking in my makeup.
“That’s a damning comment, because I think he knows what the reaction is after that comment. He’s not saying that without thinking, ‘Where does this go after?’ There’s really no way back for Marcus after that, I don’t think, with that type of comment.”
How Things Went Wrong for Rashford Under Amorim
24 November: Marcus Rashford scored Manchester United‘s first goal under Ruben Amorim in a 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town.
1 December: Rashford scored twice in a 4-0 win over Everton.
12 December: Substituted after 56 minutes in the Europa League match against Viktoria Plzen, with United losing 1-0. Rasmus Højlund who replaced Rashford scored twice to secure a 2-1 win.
15 December: Left out of United’s squad for the 2-1 win over Manchester City.
17 December: In an interview with Henry Winter, Rashford expresses his desire for “a new challenge.”
20 January: Sources close to Rashford indicate that he hasn’t given up on playing for United again.
26 January: When asked about Rashford, Amorim states he would rather include his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach on the bench than “a player who doesn’t give the maximum every day.”
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Rashford’s Future in Limbo Amid Transfer Speculation
In December, Rashford stated that he was “ready for a new challenge,” but with just few days remaining in the January transfer window, he finds himself in limbo.
European giants like Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, and AC Milan have been linked with a move for the 27-year-old, who has scored 138 goals in 426 appearances for United. However, any potential transfer is complicated by Rashford’s reported £300,000-a-week ($374,000) salary on a contract that runs until 2028.
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