“They don’t do that nonsense there!”: Gary Lineker urges star to ditch United for his own sake

Former England striker Gary Lineker has insisted that Marcus Rashford has an easy decision to make between staying at Barcelona or returning to Manchester United. Improved fortunes Rashford has enjoyed an upturn in form and fortunes since swapping United for Barcelona last summer. He sealed a season-long loan move to the Blaugrana after falling out of favour under now-sacked head coach Ruben Amorim. Rashford was banished to the infamous bomb squad by Amorim, who made it clear that the forward had no place in his plans. Rashford has impressed in Spain, netting 10 goals and providing an additional 13 assists in 37 appearances across all competitions this season. He has proven to be a reliable player for Hansi Flick as Barcelona push to retain their La Liga crown and win the Champions League after last term’s disappointment. Barcelona hold the option to make his stay permanent for £26million, and there have already been suggestions that they will take up. A report covered by The Peoples Person relayed that an agreement is already in place between the player’s camp and the Catalan giants. It’s been rumoured that United caretaker boss Michael Carrick would welcome Rashford back if he is given the Old Trafford hot seat on a permanent basis. However, Lineker believes it would be in Rashford’s best interests to choose Barcelona over a return to his boyhood club. Lineker makes Rashford point Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker said, “He’s not getting many minutes at the moment. That’s for obvious reasons. Lamine Yamal is playing on the right and Raphinha is playing on the left and they are both in the top five players in world football.” “So it’s understandable. But whenever he comes on he does really well.” On Rashford staying at Barcelona, Lineker added, “I think that would be a great move for him, don’t you? It looks promising for him.” “I think it will come down to Marcus. If he goes back to Manchester United he will face all the old criticism again. Oh, ‘He’s focusing too much on helping kids have food on their table’, like it’s a bad thing. They did this bizarre thing about why he was wearing some kind of flashy necklace.” “They don’t do that nonsense over there [in Spain] so he just gets on with his football. It was a fresh start and I would imagine he’s really loving it and not getting all the off-field nonsense he gets in this country. They leave you to live your life.” “It doesn’t compare to how our media is here.” Meanwhile, United return to action on Sunday when they host Aston Villa. Featured image Paul Miller via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Derick Kinoti Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the Premier League extensively for years. His work blends sharp analysis, tactical insight, and engaging storytelling that resonates with fans around the world. Derick has gained valuable experience in football journalism, developing strong expertise in SEO writing, digital content creation, and social media engagement. A tech enthusiast with a Computer Science degree from the University of Nairobi, he ultimately swapped code for football commentary, bringing an analytical, detail-oriented approach to his writing. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!