Emotional Marcus Rashford bursts into tears on the Wembley pitch after tough season which saw him axed by England after poor form and Belfast tequila bender

Marcus Rashford was overcome with emotion after Manchester United stunned Manchester City to win the FA Cup at Wembley.

Television cameras and photographers captured the lifelong United fan and academy graduate as she shed tears at the final whistle after the 2-1 win.

First-half goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo won United the FA Cup for the 13th time in their history as they upset the chances.

It was a happy ending to a hugely disappointing season for Rashford, who found the net just eight times after scoring 30 in 2022/23.

The win at Wembley came after a tough week in which the 26-year-old missed Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the 2024 European Championship.

It was a happy ending to a turbulent campaign for the England forward

Rashford has been marred by problems on and off the pitch, such as when he went on a 12-hour tequilla bender in Belfast in January and subsequently missed United’s training (pictured above – the striker went to a club in the early hours of the match the morning)

Waitress Sarah Adair, pictured, said she was invited on a night out with the footballer and his entourage and explained what happened during Rashford’s boozy night in Northern Ireland

Rashford, 26, also faced criticism after embarking on a 12-hour tequila bender in Belfast in January and then calling in sick for United training.

That incident came after Rashford also came under heavy criticism in November when he went to a nightclub following United’s 3-0 derby defeat to Man City in October.

In relation to his escapades in Belfast, a report in The Sun claimed that Rashford allegedly fell into bed fully clothed hours before calling in sick for training last week after a full day of drinking.

The 26-year-old, who has been praised for his charity work in recent years and was even awarded an MBE for his efforts to tackle food poverty, is said to have downed shots of tequila during a drunken trip to the Northern Irish capital.

A waitress, who claims she was invited by the England star, said he was so drunk at the end of the night that he dropped wads of cash in front of her in his five-star hotel room, moments before she was forced to go to bed after he fainted.

Speak with The sunSarah Adair claimed Rashford, who is reportedly paid £325,000 a week, invited her on the ‘weird’ night out saying he was ‘clearly on a mission to get drunk’.

The footballer, who was pictured dining with his high school sweetheart fiancée Lucia Loi in November, months after they split, was also said to have been spotted arguing with a French woman in a nightclub.

Rashford’s behaviour, which saw him quit the United squad and see the club issue a statement saying he had ‘taken responsibility’, is said to have angered his teammates, with one source saying: ‘They couldn’t believe that he would do that. given the situation the club finds itself in.’

It has led to speculation that Rashford could be sold by United this summer, with the forward linked to Paris Saint-Germain in the past.

Rashford started the FA Cup final at Wembley and completed 74 minutes before Erik ten Hag replaced him with Rasmus Hojlund.

Teenagers Garnacho and Mainoo stole the show with two goals late in the first half to leave City stunned.

Although Jeremy Doku rewarded City’s second-half dominance with a late reply, they were unable to force extra time with an equalizer as their doubles ambitions died.

Rashford’s show of emotion as he hugged his teammates was well received by United fans on social media, although some interpreted it as a farewell.

But others described it as an outpouring of joy after a difficult season in which he helped win the FA Cup for his beloved club.

There was disappointment this week when Southgate left him out of England’s 33-man training squad for the European Championship in Germany.

That came after off-field issues as Rashford mourned two deaths within his circle of family and friends, and faced criticism from fans on social media.

Earlier this year, Rashford’s mother opened up about her son’s recent struggles as she revealed that the deaths of two people close to him “set him back a lot” as she warned the star about “the intentions of people around him” .

Delight for Rashford as he celebrates United’s unexpected victory over their rivals at Wembley

The forward embraces Bruno Fernandes as United begin the celebrations at full-time

Rashford cheers on the United fans as he wears his winner’s medal after the final

In a first-person piece published in The Times, Melanie Maynard said her son was struggling to come to terms with the loss of his cousin Nathan last year, which followed the death of a “very close family friend”, Garf, in 2022.

In late April, Rashford responded to a supportive social media post, saying he had been suffering from abuse “for months” and that “enough was enough.”

An account called @UtdParadigm wrote: ‘The way Marcus Rashford is being treated is absolutely disgusting. It’s cruel. It’s abuse.’

The player replied: ‘I appreciate your support! It’s abuse and has been for months. Enough is enough.’