Roy Keane has called on Marcus Rashford to own his mistakes after the Manchester United star missed training last week after he was spotted in a Belfast nightclub.
A lot has been written about Rashford in the past week but former United captain Keane has urged the 26-year-old to put his football first.
Footage emerged on social media last week showing the England international entering the Thompsons Garage nightclub in Belfast. He then missed training at Carrington on Friday morning.
The timing was wrong because United recently had a winter break. Why didn’t Rashford use that time to visit Belfast?
Erik ten Hag claims the situation has been resolved and Rashford will be available for selection when the Reds travel to Wolves tonight in the Premier League.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Keane said: “We talk about him [Marcus Rashford], he’s a young lad, lots of pressure and he’s local, but it doesn’t look like he’s enjoying his football anymore.
“It goes hand in hand, what is happening off the pitch and on it.
“Football looks like it’s a chore to him, and it shouldn’t be. There’s pressure on everybody there, but he’s a big player for Manchester United. He’s shown before that he can produce.”
Keane also warned Rashford that the perks that come with being a professional footballer are great, but he must not forget that football must come first for the sake of his career.
He added: “The cars, the watches, all that is great, but don’t forget what comes first – your football.
“Good luck with all that other stuff, but if that is becoming more important that your football, then you’re in trouble.”
Rashford’s behaviour led to him being dropped from the squad for United’s 4-2 win over Newport County in the FA Cup fourth round. Keane has urged the 26-year-old to take responsibility for his actions and to stop acting like an idiot.
“I don’t think he [Rashford] was ever that perfect,” Keane continued. “The stuff he was doing off he field, which he gets a lot of credit for.
“I never thought he had some halo above his head, but I also don’t think for one minute that he’s some sort of nasty lad.
“I think he’s certainly made a few mistakes very close to each other. The profile of Manchester United, the fact United are struggling, he’s an easy target – his decision making currently is obviously not very good.
“He’s 26 – we’ve all been there and made daft mistakes. I don’t think his attitude is one of not caring about the game, but his behaviour is that of an idiot.
“He’s making a few mistakes on the back of each other. He’s high-profile now, we see people out there on their phones, wanting to ring in and get players in trouble.
“He’s giving people their opportunity to go after him.”
I think this is sound advice from Keane, who enjoyed a night or two out when he played for United.
The big difference is that the Irishman was a determined winner on the pitch. Keane’s standards didn’t drop as a result of his lifestyle.
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