RASHFORD’S MUM OPENS UP ON MAN UTD STAR’S HEARTACHE
MARCUS Rashford’s mother says “things are looking bright again” for the Manchester United star, following the deaths of two people close to the footballer, which “set him back a lot”.
Rashford enjoyed an excellent campaign last season as he scored 30 goals across all competitions and earned a bumper new contract. However, he has suffered a dip in form this term and was also fined by United after he went clubbing in Belfast shortly before an FA Cup game.
The 26-year-old received plenty of criticism as a result, and now his mother, Melanie Maynard, has defended her son in an article for the Times. “He loves United,” she wrote.
“Marcus produced an unbelievable performance last season, scoring 30 goals and 11 assists, to warrant a new contract. After that, Marcus lost a second very important person in his life: his cousin Nathan in November, after a very good family friend, Garf, had died a year earlier, which set him back a lot.
“It was a lot for someone so young to deal with. Marcus is United through and through from when he was younger. He always wanted to play football professionally at his boyhood club. He worked so hard.
“He always believed in ‘if you believe, you will achieve’. He’s had to sacrifice a lot to get to where he is today. Marcus is human, so he will have ups and downs in his life like everyone else. Marcus is in a very good place, he will never let anyone down.
“But you always need to be wary of people’s intentions around you — sometimes people around you can be wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing. After a good win against Liverpool on Sunday and Marcus’s England call-up, things are looking bright again.”
Rashford also hit back at his critics last month and urged those questioning his commitment to United to have more humanity. He told The Players’ Tribune: “Listen, I’m not a perfect person.
“When I make a mistake, I’ll be the first one to put my hand up and say that I need to do better. But if you ever question my commitment to United, that’s when I have to speak up. It’s like somebody questioning my entire identity and everything I stand for as a man.
“If you start questioning my commitment to this club and my love for football and bringing my family into it, then I’d simply ask you to have a bit more humanity.”