Marcus Rashford has broken his silence amid criticism over his professionalism and commitment to Manchester United in a lengthy interview.
The 26-year-old forward, who has received widespread criticism for his performances this season, was also blasted for being seen at a nightclub in Belfast the night before missing training.
Recently, former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer was highly critical of Rashford's body language during Wednesday night's FA Cup fifth round clash between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest.
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But the England international has now responded to ongoing criticism in an interview with The Players' Tribune, and has hit back at those who question his commitment to boyhood club United.
"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," he said. "But if you ever question my commitment to Man 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. I grew up here. I have played for this club since I was a boy. My family turned down life-changing money when I was a kid so I could wear this badge."
Speaking about the media coverage in recent months, he added: "I’m not trying to have a go at the media. I understand the game, you know what I mean? They’re not really writing about me. It’s like they’re writing about this character, 'Marcus Rashford'.
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"It can’t just be about me as a 26-year-old lad on a night out, or a lad getting a parking ticket. It’s got to be about how much my car costs, guessing my weekly salary, my jewellery or even my tattoos.
"It’s got to be about my body language, and questioning my morals, and speculating about my family, and my football future. There’s a tone to it that you don’t get with all footballers. Let’s just leave it at that."
Rashford also spoke about his charity work during lockdown, and suggested that some criticism stems from those campaigns.
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"I think some of it goes back to the pandemic," he added. "I was just trying to use my voice to make sure that kids weren’t going hungry, because I know exactly how it feels.
"For some reason, that seemed to rub certain people the wrong way. It seems like they’ve been waiting for me to have a human moment so they can point the finger and say, “See? See who he really is?”
After speaking about a number of different topics, including the doubters, being in the football "bubble" and his hopes for the rest of the season, Rashford ended the feature with a promise.
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"I promise you, the world has not seen the best of this United squad and these players," he said.
"We want to be back playing in the Champions League, then we have a massive international tournament at the end of the season. We will be back where we belong. We just have to keep working, and that starts with me.
"If you back me, good. If you doubt me, even better."
Topics: Marcus Rashford, Manchester United, England, Premier League
Jack Kenmare