Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has been warned he could live to regret his call to leave Old Trafford but that his “decline has been startling”
Marcus Rashford says he wants out of Manchester United at what should be the peak of his powers – and that decision could “haunt him”, says ex-Old Trafford star Dwight Yorke.
The end of Rashford’s time in Manchester has seemingly unravelled in spectacular fashion after he was axed from the squad for the Manchester derby by boss Ruben Amorim on Sunday.
And after United’s 2-1 win over Pep Guardiola’s struggling Manchester City, it looks like it was the right call from the Red Devils’ new Portuguese boss.
He has laid down the law and Rashford says he is now keen “on a new challenge”. But Yorke believes the England international, who has netted 138 goals in 426 appearances for United, could live to regret his decision.
Ahead of United’s game against Tottenham tomorrow, boss Amorim has said United are “better” with Rashford playing and he is ready to “help” the player and “try different things” to get the best out of him.
But Yorke believes Rashford’s form has nose-dived and that the forward has become a cautionary tale for all footballers. Yorke told Sports Lens: “His decline has been startling. In terms of a level of consistency that he’s brought to the table, it’s been non-existent. Rashford’s plight is a stark reminder for footballers of how the game works. If you take your eye off the ball, and I’ve been a victim of that and have my own experience there, but if you’re taking your eye off the ball, things can quickly come around to bite you.
“If you’re not in a happy place, you’re going to find whatever you do in life hard to do. If you’re going to work, I know it pays the bills, but you’re not happy, it doesn’t matter what job you have. You’re not really enjoying it, and that seems to be the case with Rashford at the moment.
“Rashford should have been enjoying the most fruitful time in his career. Here we are talking about someone who’s done it all, come through the ranks at a giant like Manchester United, been there since he was a kid, and made it all the way to the top. Now he wants to leave, that’s the sad bit.
“I know everybody is having a go at him and making life difficult, and he’s obviously on the money that he’s on, but this must be really upsetting for him, seeing how his United career is coming to an end.
He’ll look back at this period when he’s older and think, ‘S***. I didn’t see that happening that way.’ I hope it doesn’t have a massive negative impact on his life, because we’ve seen it so many times before in football where a talented player has the world at his feet and throws it away.
“Whatever happens, I hope he can find the strength to take back control of his career, whether that is at Old Trafford or somewhere else. I hope this period doesn’t come back to haunt him in later life and he looks back with any regrets, but that’s where he is at the moment.”
Yorke, who played for United under Sir Alex Ferguson from 1998 to 2002 before leaving for Blackburn, says departing Old Trafford could be a massive moment in Rashford’s professional and personal life.
The 1999 Treble winner added: “Leaving a club like Manchester United, which has been Marcus Rashford’s home for his entire life, could have a real knock-on effect and sometimes you can’t recover from that. Either way, you’ll be sad if you were to leave the football club.
“What’s happened to Rashford wasn’t in the plan. Nobody expected this after he had signed his big contract and after he had such a fantastic goal-scoring record. We all thought Marcus was the future.
“He’s supposed to be hitting the peak of his powers, this is meant to be his time to shine, 27, coming into your prime, but he’s gone backwards. I still struggle to believe what has happened to him.”
Read the full interview here.