Marcus Rashford is working to revive his career away from Manchester United following his loan move to Barcelona this summer.
After plundering 30 goals and 12 assists in the 2022/23 campaign, the Englishman was expected to become the face of Erik ten Hag’s project at the Theatre of Dreams.
Unfortunately, Rashford lacked consistency and the Red Devils suffered as a result. The Dutchman lost his job three months into the 2024/25 season, with Ruben Amorim taking his place at Old Trafford in November that year.
The Portuguese’s arrival marked a change in the Englishman’s fortunes at the club. Rashford had a fall out with Amorim, and was sent on loan to Aston Villa in January.
A resurgence in Spain
Despite a decent stint at Villa Park, Rashford failed to convince Amorim. United would have preferred to offload the Englishman permanently over the summer, but he ultimately joined Barcelona on loan.
Since the move, however, Rashford has shown flashes of the form that earned him a lucrative contract in the summer of 2023. The 27 year old has scored three goals and set up five more from 10 games in all competitions for the Catalans this season.
Recent reports suggest that the LaLiga champions are pleased with his performances and plan to exercise the option to sign him permanently in 2026 for £30m.
Rashford, meanwhile, appeared to blame United for his struggles in a recent interview, stating that it had been difficult for him to excel in an ‘inconsistent environment.’ A Red Devils legend has now responded to those claims.
Rooney refutes Rashford’s claim
Wayne Rooney joined United as a teenager in 2004 from Everton, and went on to become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer with 253 goals from 559 games. The Englishman won 16 trophies during his time at Old Trafford, including the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Europa League. Fans recently voted him the former star they think would most improve the current side.
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney said: “I think the environment hasn’t been right but that is down to yourself.
“If you are not playing well or you get left out of the team then I think it is easier to blame the environment and whether that is right or wrong. I think that comes from how you apply yourself.
“In games we have seen with him where we know he can do more, we know he can run more – that is nothing to do with an environment.
“I might be wrong here, I really like Marcus as a lad and as a person but I think that is an easy one to throw at people.”
Rashford has scored 138 goals from 426 games and was once tipped by Rooney to break his record at the Theatre of Dreams. Unfortunately, much has changed since then, and as things stand, the 27 year old may not have a way back at United at the moment.
Featured image Alex Caparros 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
Deepungsu Pandit
Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.
