Alan Shearer says Marcus Rashford 'can’t keep doing this' after missing FA Cup clash vs Newport

Alan Shearer has sent a clear message to Marcus Rashford after he missed Manchester United's FA Cup trip to Newport County.

Rashford was absent from training on Friday through illness, but the England international was reportedly spotted at nightclubs in Belfast on Wednesday and Thursday evening.

The 26-year-old, who has only scored four goals for United this season, was in Northern Ireland as he visited best friend and former academy team-mate Ro-Shaun Williams, who plays for Larne FC.

A report from The Athletic claims Rashford went to Lavery’s Bar on Wednesday night before attending Thompsons Garage nightclub in the city on Thursday night.

He then flew back to Manchester on a private jet the following morning.

Ahead of Sunday's clash at Rodney Parade, Erik ten Hag was questioned about Rashford's absence but the Dutch manager refused to go into detail after the club said he was "not well enough to be in the squad for Newport following illness".

Ten Hag said: "He reported ill. Lets say, it’s an internal matter, I’ll deal with it. It’s an internal matter."

"Internal matter."

😳#BBCFootball #FACup pic.twitter.com/x7JhdFegqa

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) January 28, 2024

Soon after Ten Hag's interview, BBC pundit and former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer urged Rashford to not waste his talent.

"If it’s an internal matter, you’d think something is up," Shearer told BBC Sport.

"There’s a huge talent in there with Marcus Rashford. We’ve seen him be disciplined last season when he was late to a meeting before a game but something is clearly wrong - either at home or in his relationship with the football club.

"He can’t keep doing this, he can’t keep wasting his talent because it’s not right. He needs strong management, someone to get hold of him and tell him there’ll be huge regrets come the end of his career if he continues doing this.

"You can’t keep doing it, it needs sorting now. Thirty goals last season, four this season. When I see him play, it looks like he’s got the world on his shoulders so it needs sorting now because he can’t really deal with it."

This isn't the first time Shearer has commented on Rashford this season. Back in November, after the England international went 12 games without a goal, Shearer made some bold comments about the United forward.

When asked why Rashford was out of form, he told Premier League Productions: "I think the simple answer is we don’t know because we’re not within the football club.

"But what we’re looking at is someone who clearly looks very unhappy. He looks moody, and when that’s the case you’re never going to perform at your best.

"Whether he feels he’s better than what’s at Old Trafford at this moment in time, I don’t know. Whether he feels let down by recruitment because he went to another levels in terms of his goals last year. The club haven’t gone to it this season which maybe he wanted or expected to.

"You’re not seeing a happy footballer, you’re not seeing a happy person at this moment in time in Marcus Rashford. He looks a different player for England than he does for Manchester United."