Wayne Rooney and Roy Keane have told Marcus Rashford he should be “embarrassed” and “ashamed” by his Manchester United exile.
The former United captains offered a withering assessment of Rashford’s situation at Old Trafford, with Rooney revealing he has told the England striker he should leave to try to resurrect his career elsewhere.
Rashford, who has not played for United since a Europa League tie against Viktoria Plzen on December 12, has been told by head coach Ruben Amorim he “has to change” if he is to have a future at the club amid unhappiness at the player’s attitude and training.
United are in tentative talks with Barcelona about a potential loan arrangement before Monday’s transfer deadline but the situation is complicated by the Catalan club’s struggles to comply with La Liga’s financial controls and the 27-year-old’s £325,000 a week wages.
Rashford has been left out of United’s away Europa League tie at FCSB, formerly Steaua Bucharest, on Thursday night and Rooney – the club’s record goalscorer with 253 goals in 559 games – says the situation is “embarrassing” and that the forward needs to leave.
Speaking on the ‘Stick to Football’ podcast, the former United and England captain said: “I went into Carrington on Sunday to take my kids to game day and Marcus Rashford was out on the training pitch with the fitness coach, but he was right over towards where the parents were walking past for the kids’ games.
“I looked at him thinking how embarrassing it must be for him as parents walk past.
“I’ve spoken to Marcus a couple of times and I’ve given him my thoughts and feelings that he needs to leave the football club because whatever is going on his life and at Manchester United, he’s not the same.
“For him to have a fresh start, he needs to leave the club.”
Keane, who made 480 appearances for United over 12 years, said he could not understand a player who “doesn’t train properly” and said Rashford should be “ashamed” of himself.
“I can’t get involved in the conversation, I still can’t understand at any level,” he said. “Whatever’s going on with players leaving, months left on contracts, a player who doesn’t train properly... I don’t understand it.
“You might as well leave me out of this conversation. Especially if you think he wants to move, which is more of a reason to train properly so when you go to a new club you’re up to speed and when you leave the club at least you showed a decent attitude. He must be ashamed.”
