Marcus Rashford admits he has made mistakes but insists it is wrong to question his commitment to Manchester United after a 12-hour tequila bender in Belfast last month.
Rashford missed training after flying to Northern Ireland on a private jet and then tried to mislead United by claiming the boozy night out had taken place 24 hours earlier, before a planned day off.
The 26-year-old England star was suspended for the FA Cup tie in Newport and faced widespread criticism, but has dismissed any suggestion that he is not fully committed to his boyhood club.
“Listen, I’m not a perfect person,” Rashford wrote. “If I make a mistake, I’ll be the first to raise my hand and say I need to do better.
‘But if you ever question my commitment to Man United, then I have to say so.
Marcus Rashford has hit back at questions about his involvement with Manchester United
Rashford was criticized after he was spotted leaving a Belfast nightclub late at night last month, despite having a training session with United the following morning.
Rashford has admitted he is not a ‘perfect person’ but has hit back at recent criticism
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“It’s like someone is questioning my entire identity and everything I stand for. I grew up here. I have been playing for this club since I was a boy. My family turned down life-changing money when I was a child so I could wear this badge.
‘Football can be a bubble. I’ve tried to remain a normal person, keep the same friends. I’ve tried my best not to change, even when I’m on a night out or on vacation.
‘But there is also another side to it. I am a human being. I made mistakes that a lot of guys in their twenties make, and I tried to learn from them. But I have also made sacrifices that no one sees.
“What I want you to understand is that money doesn’t keep you playing through hard times. It’s the love of the game, plain and simple.’
Writing for the Players’ standRashford suggested the critics have turned their knives on him since he was awarded an MBE in 2021 for his work in the fight against child poverty.
“I think some of it goes back to the pandemic,” he added. “I was just trying to use my voice to make sure kids don’t go hungry because I know what it feels like.
‘For some reason that seemed to rub some people the wrong way. It seems like they waited for me to have a human moment so they could point the finger and say, “See? Do you see who he really is?’
‘I can take any criticism. But if you question my commitment to this club and my love for football and involving my family, then I would just ask you to have a little more humanity.
Rashford was appointed MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2021.
He suggested that the campaign against child poverty has misled some people
Rashford scored a career-best 30 goals last season but has failed to repeat the form this season
‘You have to understand that playing for United was everything when I was young. It was out of reach for us. It was hard to get there and even harder to stay there.
‘Money is great. It’s a blessing. But dreams are priceless. For me, playing for United, even at the age of 11, was my only goal.
‘To be able to go on and make that dream come true, as a kid from Manchester – as a kid from Hulme, Moss Side, Chorlton, Withington, Wythenshawe – if you think I would ever take that for granted, you just don’t know . me.
‘You know what? If I’m honest, part of me doesn’t mind when people doubt me. When everyone says they love me, I get suspicious. I know how the world works.
“When I’ve been in the darkest places and it feels like half the world is against me, I tend to go alone for a few days and reset, and then I’m fine.” Other times, when that didn’t work, I found someone to talk to.
‘But whenever I’m in trouble physically or mentally, I always feel like I can turn it around and play my best football for United and England.’