Gary Neville believes Marcus Rashford’s decision to attend a party after last weekend’s Manchester derby was “a mistake”, but the former Manchester United captain refused to go in hard on the 26-year-old.
The newspapers jumped on a Rashford story last weekend because he was spotted attending Chinawhite nightclub in Manchester city. It later turned out that it was to celebrate his own birthday, although Erik ten Hag deemed it “unacceptable” and said Rashford apologised.
Rashford travelled with the squad to Craven Cottage but wasn’t available for selection due to a knock he sustained in training.
In reaction to this, Neville said Rashford should have known better than to go out partying after losing the Manchester derby.
Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “I’ve said this openly and publicly, if we lost any match – forget the Manchester derby – we wouldn’t be seen for a week, two weeks. If we lost a match a night out would be cancelled. Simple as that. That was my rule, it was the rule in the dressing room: you could not be seen out in a public place if you’d lost a football match.
“You’d be bumping into people who have paid big money to watch the team play and they don’t want to see you really enjoying yourselves and celebrating, it’s an optics thing. So, I’m all for lads enjoying their lives and getting on with their lives but maybe that’s just a night to sort of have a takeaway, maybe a glass of wine, bring your friends round to your house. Just optically it’s not great I don’t think if you’re seen out at a nightclub in Manchester after a derby loss – I don’t think it’s right.
“Erik ten Hag said it was a mistake, I would class it as a mistake as well. Marcus is from Manchester, I know it was his birthday and you’ve got to live, but it’s a Manchester derby and you’ve just been beaten 3-0. The reality of it is the fans don’t want to hear that you’re out on the town.”
Neville went on to add that he wasn’t having a go at Rashford. He also joked about not getting an invite to the birthday bash.
“I’m not having a massive go, I’m not sticking the knife in, I’m just saying I don’t think it’s the wisest decision. If you want to keep the hassle and media scrutiny away, if you want a more peaceful life, you have to make sensible decisions and not ask for trouble.”
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