Marcus Rashford is leaving Manchester United on loan to Aston Villa in the January transfer window.
Fabrizio Romano issued a Rashford ‘here we go’ on Sunday morning, which all but confirmed the Manchester United winger was set to depart.
But not for good – yet. The initial deal between the Villans and Manchester United is a loan move, but Unai Emery can buy Rashford for £40m at the end of the season, which fans aren’t too pleased about.
Whilst Rashford leaving United is upsetting, a few Red Devils legends won’t seem to miss him around Old Trafford.
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Paul Scholes wanted to sell Marcus Rashford anyway
Paul Scholes is often opinionated when it comes to United, and he’s been no different during the Rashford situation.
Speaking in a video shared on TNT Sports’ social media channels, Scholes named the players he believes Manchester United should sell.
His list included Rashford and had other names such as Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Casemiro, Antony and Joshua Zirkzee.
Scholes also told Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim to “banish” Rashford from the dressing room.
Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, Scholes said: “I think Marcus has let a lot of people down really, with his attitude, and I think that’s what the manager is trying to say.
“You think of the young players coming through the team, think of [Alejandro] Garnacho, they’re looking up to people like Marcus now – he’s 27 years of age, and he’s clearly not training properly.
“I remember years ago when I told the manager [Sir Alex Ferguson] I didn’t want to play in that Arsenal game… he said to me ‘the worst thing you did is let your team-mates down’, and that really stuck with me because I wasn’t really thinking about that – and now I think Marcus Rashford, he’s doing exactly the same.
“OK, he’s not refusing to play, but in the way he’s behaving and the way he’s training, in a way he is saying I don’t want to be involved with these.
“So I think the fact of letting your teammates down in that dressing room – he should be banished from the dressing room really. If he’s in and around that and young people are seeing that as an example, the sooner he’s gone the better.”
Harsh, but probably fair from Scholes, who now has his wish. It appears Gary Neville would echo his thoughts.
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Gary Neville made his thoughts clear on Rashford
Neville has had harsh opinions on Rashford in the past – and the former United right-back’s thoughts on Marcus became clear throughout the January window.
Speaking on the ‘It’s Called Soccer’ podcast, Neville referred to Amorim’s banishment and verbal takedowns of Rashford, saying: “I played in a dressing room under a manager who would defend his players to the hilt.
“But it gets to a point where managers are being booted out of the club and the players are still staying, year after year, regime after regime.
“I think Amorim has thought ‘It’s you or me and I am going to go for you lot’. I think it is really bad for Marcus Rashford because it is a stain on his character.
“If someone is saying that about you on a regular basis, that he’s not training well, he’s not being professional, his standards are low, I mean it’s really damning on him.
“I worked with Marcus Rashford a number of years ago now and I don’t believe inherently that he is that individual when he was coming through at United, but I obviously haven’t seen him on the training pitch in the last few years.
“So, for me, I hope Amorim gets Marcus out, because he obviously wants him out and I hope from Marcus’ point of view he can go and play football somewhere else and have a great finish to the season and get his career back on track, because I think it’s sad for both parties.”
- READ MORE: Who is Marcus Rashford? Inside the life of Man Utd’s book-writing, government-tackling ace
Wayne Rooney also agrees it’s time for Rashford to go
Sadly, this is the general consensus for most Manchester United legends on Rashford. Wayne Rooney even urged Rashford to leave recently.
“When this started over two years ago, I was surprised then. Now I’m not. I’ve spoken to Marcus a couple of times and I’ve given him my thoughts and opinions,” Rooney said on The Overlap.
“I said ‘you need to leave the football club’. Because whatever is going on in his life and at Manchester United, he’s not the same, it’s not him.
“So I said, for him to have a fresh start he needs to leave the club.”
Amorim now needs a Rashford replacement, with just hours left in the transfer window. Can the Red Devils make a last-minute swoop?
Whether Rashford will ever play for Manchester United again remains to be seen – but one thing is definitely for certain, no one is surprised to see the back of him.
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