Marcus Rashford, a talented player and introverted character at the crossroads.
He's spent the summer getting fit and re-setting.
It’s time to discuss Marcus Rashford. As England head into a quarter-final of the European Championship, what has happened to a player who helped them qualify for the tournament? What has happened to the career of a talented footballer, likeable but introverted, who is still only 26, still with so much to offer?
There are so many questions around Rashford. What is the state of his relationship with Erik ten Hag? With Gareth Southgate? With the game he once played so vibrantly? With his relationship with Manchester United fans? Do United actually want him to stay or cash in a valuable PSR chip?
So many questions. How focused is he? Was his ill-advised boozy trip to Belfast a one-off or sign of a bigger problem? Is he drinking too much? Why has an individual lauded for his work battling child food poverty now become a fixture in the cross-hairs of the media? And shouldn’t we all be hoping that he re-finds his way?
Where to start? Probably on February 28 at the City Ground. It all happened in a blur. Rashford chased Diogo Dalot’s ball into the Nottingham Forest area, trying to give United the lead in a tight FA Cup tie. As Rashford controlled Dalot’s pass, he was sandwiched between the Forest defenders, Murillo and Felipe. Chris Kavanagh ruled no foul, no penalty, but there was a consequence for Rashford. A bruised rib.