Man Utd forward Marcus Rashford has been branded “a baby” and an “embarrassment” by Troy Deeney after his performance against Arsenal last week.
The England international looks a shadow of the player who scored 30 goals in the 2022/23 campaign with Rashford managing just eight goals last term.
Despite his poor performances this term, Rashford is currently Man Utd’s top goalscorer in the Premier League this season with four goals.
Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee sparked into life against Everton in a 4-0 win in Ruben Amorim’s first Premier League home match as manager on December 1.
However, since then the Man Utd forward has been limited to half an hour off the bench in defeats to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest as the Red Devils dropped down to 13th in the Premier League table.
Reports emerged earlier this week linking Rashford to a January exit if Man Utd receive a ‘top offer’ with the Daily Mail revealing today that the Red Devils want £40m for their academy product.
When asked what he thought had gone wrong for Rashford at Man Utd, Deeney told talkSPORT: “Without being nasty I think he’s developed a level of superstar which, because Man United have been so bad over recent years, he’s benefited from that.
“From contracts and playing, especially at the start of the season. He was playing and he was awful.
“But he kept playing, and they would take off [Alejandro] Garnacho, take off [Amad] Diallo, whoever it was.
“I just think he’s developed a level of superstar-ness when he probably hasn’t earned it, if I’m being totally honest with you.”
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When asked if Rashford had become lazy because of the long and lucrative contract he’s on, Deeney replied: “I don’t think it’s about whether he can become lazy.
“It’s what you’re allowing him to get away with. And I think, I said this a couple of weeks ago when the new manager came in, I think Marcus will struggle because of the standard that’s expected.
“And then obviously he scored back-to-back games and against Arsenal he dropped him.”
Rashford was criticised for his performance against Arsenal in a 2-0 loss with Roy Keane insisting the Man Utd forward’s “general play as a footballer is shocking”.
The 27-year-old was also seen walking off the pitch before any of his other team-mates, who went to clap the fans, and Deeney reckons his attitude at Arsenal sums up why it hasn’t been working out for him recently.
Deeney added: “I was at the Arsenal game. When he came on, there was no point bringing him on. It was an embarrassment when he came on.
“Walking around, tried to hit a massive dive, kicked it off the pitch, and then when all the players went over to the fans to clap, he was stood at the back, he was first one off, and I just thought, you’re a baby.
“You’re a baby. What is he, 27 now? Meant to be at the peak of your powers. Obviously the financials are taken care of now. Who are you as a person? What do you stand for?
“And my worry, genuine worry for Marcus is, when this is all said and done, that he’s going to regret not maximising it because that’s hard to live with.
“You know, for me personally, I had an okay career, I did really good. But from where I’m from, to where I got to, it’s, I’m good with that.
“I squeezed every part of the orange, do you get what I mean?”
On whether people around him are damaging Rashford, Deeney continued: “No, ultimately it all falls on him. And I’m just disappointed, because I think he could have been a world-beater. I genuinely do.
“I think he could have been someone that played for England on a regular basis. He could have scored loads of goals. He could have been an absolute shining star for Man United for many years and go down as a club legend.
“And I think what’s going to happen is he’s going to tarnish that, and he’s going to ultimately end up like someone like Jesse Lingard. That was like, what if? What if he had, you know, applied himself?
“I think he’s lost interest with media as well.”
When asked where the Man Utd forward could end up moving to, Deeney said: “Nastily, he would probably suit Spurs, because there is no expectation on Spurs.
“The players that go there, they’re not expected to win the league, are they?”
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