Paul Parker says Marcus Rashford’s problems at Manchester United are not related to the manager, but to the club.
In an exclusive interview with The Peoples Person hosted by Instant Casino, Parker weighed up whether or not the England star’s loan move to Aston Villa will kick-start his faltering career.
Will Rashford be reborn at Villa Park?
“Hopefully the kid will go there and play the game with a smile on his face,” the former United full-back said. “If there’s a smile on his face, that means there’s a very good chance he’s going to run around. That’s what kids do, if they’re enjoying themselves they run around.
“He’s been playing like a kid sitting in front of the TV set and no-one’s given him anything to play with.
“At this moment in time, Manchester United doesn’t suit him. That’s the way it comes across. And you can’t keep blaming managers.
“Everyone seems to want to blame managers. No! If the player doesn’t want to play for his teammates or the club, that player can’t be there, because you can’t let down your teammates.
“If he goes there and does it, you have to say, the club just wasn’t right for him, something was wrong, which he’s not talking about, that it just didn’t work in Manchester for him.
“But I don’t know how it’s going to make much difference, going 60 miles down the road into Birmingham to play football.
On being under the spotlight
“Is he going to get regular football? They have [a few options in his position] and he’s not going to play through the middle. He’s not going to be any kind of a threat for Watkins. Not in a million years. Duran wasn’t even a threat.
“Players go on loan these days and sometimes they sit on the bench all the time. I’d rather be sitting on the bench in my own domain. When you do get the chance you’re being questioned by the supporters, you’re coming on a bit ring rusty, you maybe only get ten minutes.
“So definitely Marcus Rashford is going to be judged every second he plays, by the media, by Tarquin who works in one of the banks, who doesn’t like football but he’s heard of Marcus Rashford and his extraordinary attitude to football at this moment in time.
“So I’m hoping he does well, because you don’t want to see a kid lose everything when he’s supposed to have loved the game since he was a toddler.
“There may be people who don’t want him to do well because of what he’s done to their football club, but it shouldn’t be that way. If there’s a serious problem, and he needs to get away because of it, and he doesn’t want to share it, then so be it.”
The £40 million loan redemption fee
“Two years ago, you’d be talking more than that [£40 million purchase option attached to the loan].
“But you have to look what he’s given, there’s been no way of avoiding the situation of hiding what’s gone on, so no-one’s going to pay silly money, because everyone would laugh at you.
“You look at his age, you look at his CV, you look potential now, what he could do if you can spark him, you say to yourself, yeah. But no-one’s going to pay any more, because he’s tarnished until someone cleans him.”
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Red Billy
Red Billy is the managing editor of The Peoples Person, author of three books and totally obsessed with football’s transfer market. Billy still insists Matteo Darmian and Alex Telles could have made it at United given half a chance.
