Former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand has claimed there is ‘no way back’ for Marcus Rashford following Ruben Amorim‘s latest comments about the forward.
Man United‘s head coach took an extraordinary swipe at Rashford after the Red Devils’ win at Fulham on Sunday by declaring that he would rather pick his 63-year-old goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital than the England forward.
Rashford had not been included on the bench for the match, with the England international having failed to feature in the club’s 11 games.
He last played for Man United on December 12, before being axed from the squad for the Manchester derby.
When asked about Rashford’s latest absence against Fulham, Amorim suggested he would rather play his goalkeeper coach over the forward.
‘The reason is the training, what I think a footballer should do in training, in life and every day,’ Amorim said.
Rio Ferdinand has claimed there is ‘no way back’ for Marcus Rashford at Manchester United
Head coach Amorim took an extraordinary swipe at Rashford after their win over Fulham
Amorim suggested he would rather play 63-year-old goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital
‘I will put Vital before I put a player who doesn’t give the maximum every day.’
Speaking on his Rio Presents YouTube channel, six-time Premier League winner Ferdinand claimed Amorim’s comments have shown there is no future for Rashford at Old Trafford.
‘If I was that player that the manager said that about, my heart, my pride, my ego – embarrassment,’ Ferdinand said.
‘For someone to question your application, to question [whether] you’re going out there and giving 100 per cent for your team, [suggesting] that you’re going to slack off and you’re taking shortcuts…
‘We all have days off or moments when we’re not performing well, lacking confidence, but effort isn’t really one of the things I would want to be hearing a manager say is lacking in my makeup.
‘That’s a damning comment, because I think he knows what the reaction is after that comment. He’s not saying that without thinking, ‘Where does this go after?’ There’s really no way back for Marcus after that, I don’t think, with that type of comment.
‘You’re looking at it and going, “He has only been there a short bit of time and he’s actually straight away gone, he’s pulled out the nine-millimetre revolver and just gone bang”. There’s no way back from that.
‘If he comes back, that means other players can now take their foot off the gas and still have a way back into the team.’
Ferdinand said Amorim’s comments questioning Rashford’s application were ‘damning’
Rashford’s representatives have held talks with clubs over a move away in the January window
Rashford has missed Man United’s last 11 games and last featured back on December 12
Rashford had admitted last month that he was ‘ready for a new challenge’ away from Man United.
The 27-year-old, who shared an Instagram post congratulating his team-mates on their win over Fulham, has been the source of interest from clubs during the transfer window.
Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona are leading the way to sign Rashford until the end of the season, but his £315,000-a-week wages have been a major stumbling block.
It is also understood that Rashford has been been doing extra work with a personal fitness coach to stay in shape during his absence from the Man United side, with sources claiming he is ready to give 100 per cent for the team.
Ferdinand suggested he would have come out publicly to defend himself, had a manager made similar comments to Amorim’s about Rashford following the weekend win over Fulham.
‘For me, if it isn’t true, I’m coming out all guns blazing. I’m holding a press conference and saying “I’m not having anyone say that about me”,’ Ferdinand added.
‘You only do that if you are 100 per cent sure that nobody can say you’re taking shortcuts. We’re in an era where you have the ability to really communicate with the fans directly so the story is not getting twisted.
‘I would love to sit across the table from Marcus and look into his eyes and see if he could say that. If you can’t, you have to look at yourself.’
