Marcus Rashford was named in England’s 26-man squad for the World Cup and thanked those who “believed in me” in an Instagram post, but made no mention of his parent club Manchester United.
Marcus Rashford speaks out (Image: ESPN)
Marcus Rashford has sought to clear the air after being accused of showing “disrespect” towards Manchester United following his England call-up. Rashford, currently on loan at Barcelona, was named in England’s 26-man squad for the World Cup by manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday, and he celebrated his inclusion on Instagram.
“A special thank you to Unai (Emery), Hansi (Flick), Thomas, Aston Villa, Barcelona and England for believing in me at a difficult time,” the forward wrote.
It didn’t take long for his followers to realize that he wasn’t referring to United or anyone else connected to the club. “Where is United’s appreciation?” one supporter asked.
“Absolute disrespect for the club that produced him and still has him under contract and pays his wages,” another claimed. A third added sarcastically: “No mention of your boyhood club? Very classy.”
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“I think that means United won’t bring Rashford back. I seriously thought he would come back to Old Trafford,” one concluded.
Rashford was wary of the backlash and reacted quickly. “Just to clarify my IG story. This is not a bargain of any kind! I am a supporter of MU and that will not change,” he emphasized in a post to X.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the clubs and coaches I have worked with over the past 18 months, who have played a huge role in this England call-up.”
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Despite Rashford’s form at Barcelona, the La Liga champions have not told United they are prepared to pay the £26m required to sign him permanently. The former Villa loanee is keen to stay at Camp Nou and has scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 48 appearances.
Rashford was often selected as second choice behind left-winger Rafinha and helped Barça win two trophies. Barcelona president Joan Laporta has publicly discussed the idea of extending the 28-year-old’s loan for another season, but United want him to leave permanently.
Rashford, who is under contract at United until 2028, could be given one last chance to impress Barça boss Flick on Saturday. The Blaugrana will end their trip to Valencia away.
Flick recently praised Rashford, saying: “I think he’s had a great season and he’s got good numbers. I’m very grateful for that and I’m very grateful. We’ll analyze everything at the end of the season and see what happens after that.”
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