Marcus Rashford claimed in an interview that he is 'ready for a new challenge'
Ruben Amorim has left Rashford out of his last three Manchester United squads
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By WILL PICKWORTH
Published: 05:22 EST, 26 December 2024 | Updated: 05:22 EST, 26 December 2024
Former Man United star Ben Foster has hit out at Marcus Rashford and questioned what the future holds for the forward at Old Trafford.
Rashford said last week that he is 'ready for a new challenge' in a bombshell interview after he was dropped for the Manchester derby by Ruben Amorim.
The United boss subsequently left the 27-year-old out of the squad for defeats by Tottenham and Bournemouth, fueling the fire that the forward could move on in January.
Mail Sport reported earlier this month how Rashford will be available for £40million, although given his lack of form and gametime, the Red Devils may have to drop their asking price.
And Foster, who played for United, West Brom, Watford and Birmingham in the Premier League, ripped into Rashford and insisted he's not been up to the standard for a while.
'Marcus Rashford...' he said on his Cycling GK podcast. 'There's so many people that talk about him that say "on his day, on his day".
Ben Foster has hit out at Marcus Rashford and questioned what the future holds for him
Rashford said last week he is 'ready for a new challenge' in an interview after he was dropped
Former Man United star Foster ripped into Rashford's attitude and said he wasn't worth £10m
'His day is once every 10 games. Genuinely, it's once every 10 games and you can't have a luxury player in the modern game that will give you one game out of 10, it's as simple as that.
'Coupled with fact that he gets so much reputation and baggage and everything that comes with it, I don't think Mikel Arteta wants that anywhere near that Arsenal.
'He has to get away from Manchester United. I think it'll be an MLS (move) or something. It's going to have to be a massive wage cut.'
Rashford signed a bumper £325,000-a-week contract in the summer of 2023 after a stunning 2022-23 campaign, but he has badly struggled to replicate that form since, scoring just 12 Premier League goals across one-and-a-half seasons.
And Foster went onto discuss Rashford's attitude, claiming that he felt he no longer had the same motivation, while he also rubbished suggestions that United could bring in as much as £40m for him.
'Once that fire goes, can you get that back?,' he added. 'It has to come from him. I don't think he can get it back.
'Again, you're talking about money which does really ruin everything lads. Once people have that massive contract and they've got that five years in the bank and they've got everything they'll ever need for the rest of their life, that takes it (that fire) away.
'They were talking £40m you know as well. Even 10, I ain't paying £10m... because of everything.'
Rashford had a brilliant 2022-23 season, but Foster claimed the forward has 'lost that fire'
Ruben Amorim questioned the advice Rashford's camp gave him before doing the interview
Meanwhile, Amorim refused to rule Rashford out of United's Boxing Day clash at Wolves, although speaking ahead of the game, he did question the influence his camp has over him in regards to the interview.
‘It is a hard situation,’ Amorim said. ‘I understand that these players have a lot of people around them, and they sometimes make choices that are not the first idea from the player. I understand, I can separate things.
‘I am always here to help Marcus, as any other player. They have to do what they have to do. They chose to do the interview because it’s not just Marcus. I understand that.’
Speaking to Sky Sports, Amorim added: ‘As a coach, I just focus on performance and the way he trains. The rest, it is better for me and the club to deal with that when the time comes.
‘At the moment I focus on improving Marcus. We need a talented guy like Marcus in this moment. I forget the interview now and see what I see on the pitch.’
Amorim axed Rashford from the squad because he was unhappy with the player’s attitude and performance levels in training.
It’s understood that United won’t put their head coach under pressure to pick Rashford, even though continuing to leave him out could impact his value if he is sold in the January transfer window.