A former Manchester United player has accused Marcus Rashford of being 'lazy' and 'letting his team-mates at Old Trafford down', with the forward's resurgence at Barcelona dismissed. Rashford has rediscovered himself in Catalonia this season after completing a loan move from United. He had fallen out of favour under Ruben Amorim and was included in the manager's 'bomb squad' during pre-season.
Rashford's resurgence at Barcelona
Things started to turn ugly between Rashford and Amorim after the striker revealed in an explosive interview in December 2024 that he wanted to move away from his boyhood club. When the transfer window reopened in January, the Red Devils shipped him off on loan to Aston Villa as he was deemed surplus to the Portuguese coach's needs. Rashford enjoyed an impressive stint under Unai Emery in the second half of the 2024-25 campaign as he started to regain his old form at Villa Park.
However, after an injury the 27-year-old returned to Old Trafford in the summer but he was informed that he still does not feature in Amorim's plans. Along with other United outcasts like Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Antony, Rashford was placed in the so-called 'bomb squad' – a group of players who were up for sale and therefore banned from training with the first team. This prompted Rashford to secure a loan move to Barcelona ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
The English forward has so far enjoyed an impressive spell at the Catalan club and he regularly features in Hansi Flick's starting line-up. Rashford has already recorded five goals and as many assists in 12 matches across all competitions, including his latest double in the club's 6-1 thrashing of Olympiacos in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportEx-United star slams Rashford
Despite his recent resurgence with the Blaugrana, former United defender Paul Parker slammed Rashford as he accused the England international of being "lazy" and 'letting his team-mates down' during his time at Old Trafford.
Speaking to , Parker said: "He let his team-mates down. He was lazy, he didn’t do anything. He’s got a lot to prove if he comes back to England. How many players in the UK would trust him if he played for their team? We know it, the answer is no-one. They would never say it, but they would be feeling it inside. It was life and death when I played, and that should have been inbuilt in him, but it isn’t.
"He has done alright, but I don’t think he is in Barcelona’s ideal starting 11. Will he start in a Champions League final with Yamal, Raphinha and Lewandowski? I think the answer is no. He doesn’t start. Everything about Marcus Rashford seems to be about politics, to be honest."
'Rashford put himself in a bad position'
Parker further claimed that Rashford did not give his all to his boyhood club as he added: "Rashford put himself in a bad position where he didn’t know what to do. If you can’t give everything for your boyhood club and you are willing to let down the rest of the team, then that says a lot about you. If you can’t do it at the club you have been at since you were a kid, even saying you support that team and love the city where you have been brought up.. If you can’t deliver for them and let your teammates down on numerous occasions, then you are in a very bad position. Then he went to Aston Villa and the media claimed he did well, but did he do better than Ollie Watkins? No. Did he do any better than Jacob Ramsey? No. But he was sold that way because the narrative was to put pressure on Man Utd."
Getty Images SportRashford preparing to compete in first-ever El Clasico
After a stunning performance against Olympiacos in the Champions League on Tuesday, where he operated as a No.9 in Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres' absence, Rashford will now aim to bring out his best in the first Clasico of his career as the Catalan giants visit the Santiago Bernabeu this Sunday to face arch-rivals Real Madrid.
