£650k fine... Rashford pays a heavy price for drinking spree
MANCHESTER United ace Marcus Rashford has been fined a reported £650,000 for a two-day drinking session that led him to miss training.
The huge bill represents just a fortnight’s pay for the 26-year-old striker.
United said yesterday in a statement: “Marcus has taken responsibility for his actions. This has been dealt with as an internal disciplinary matter, which is now closed.”
Video footage appears to show the England star partying at Thompson’s Garage nightclub in Belfast last Wednesday and Thursday nights.
Brothers
He is alleged to have downed shots of tequila and was so drunk he passed out fully clothed at 3am on the first night. It is then said he flew home in a private jet at 7am on Friday and reported ill for training that day.
His manager Erik Ten Hag was so furious he dropped Rashford from the squad for Sunday’s FA
Cup match against Newport, which his team went on to win 4-2.
Ten Hag said: “He reported ill. The rest is an internal matter and
I will deal with that.”
But Rashford – who is managed by his two older brothers Dwaine and Dane – was back at the Carrington training ground on Sunday. It is understood that Ten Hag, football director John Murtough and interim chief executive Patrick Stewart met with the footballer and one of his brothers to discuss his behaviour.
He is now deemed available for selection for United’s Premier League trip to Wolves tomorrow night. Rashford’s visit to Belfast coincided with his friend Ro-Shaun Williams signing for the Northern Ireland club Larne, which publicised Marcus’s visit on social media. A waitress alleged that Rashford went on a 12-hour tequila drinking spree and had to be put to bed after passing out at 3am.
Sarah Adair, 30, also claimed the currently single star invited her on his night out after she served him lunch.
Rashford’s behaviour could not contrast more starkly with last season when he was in the form of his life after overcoming a torrid 18 months.
And it is not the first time Rashford has been in trouble with his club this season.
He was dropped from the starting line-up for their Carabao Cup fourthround defeat by Newcastle in November as a disciplinary measure. On that occasion, Ten Hag was unhappy at Rashford being seen out celebrating his birthday in one of Manchester’s most exclusive nightspots just hours after being involved in an abject 3-0 defeat by Manchester City.
He was also put on the substitutes bench for United’s Premier League game at Wolves last season after he overslept and was late for a team meeting. But he went on to score the winner.
In 2021 Rashford was feted by the country after being given an MBE by Prince William for his drive to provide children with free school meal vouchers during the Covid lockdowns.
He vowed then to continue his campaign for social change.