Marcus Rashford is currently enjoying a season-long loan with Barcelona after falling out of favour with Ruben Amorim, and one Manchester United legend believes that he will never play for the Red Devils again
Marcus Rashford looks on
Marcus Rashford is currently on loan with Barcelona
(Image: Jose Breton/NurPhoto)
Nicky Butt has claimed that Marcus Rashford's "ship has sailed" at Manchester United - pointing out that bigger players have left the club in the past.
Rashford, 27, joined Barcelona on a season-long loan deal this summer after being deemed surplus to requirements by Ruben Amorim last winter. The forward fell out of favour with the Portuguese mastermind shortly after his arrival in November, before joining Aston Villa on loan back in February.
However, upon his return this summer, Rashford looked to have no future at Old Trafford and as a result joined Barcelona on loan with a view to a £20million permanent deal. Many fans will ponder whether the Red Devils' academy graduate will return to his boyhood club, but Butt believes he has no place with United going forward.
Speaking to the MEN via BetMGM, the 50-year-old said: "Yeah, I think that ship's sailed. I think over the last two or three seasons he's shown that he needs to move football clubs, and I think that comes, you know, a lot of things have been said about certain behaviours and whatever he's been doing, but not everyone's built to stay at a football club all their lives.
"It's very few and far between, one club players within the whole of the Premier League, and it gets on my nerves a little bit. Everyone goes, 'Oh he wants to leave Man United,' well Man United haven't been performing great. Man United are not winning anything at the minute, they're slipping down the tables of the biggest clubs in the world.
"My history loves the football club, but nobody has to stay at a football club forever. And yeah, he didn't behave right at certain times, Marcus, we all get that, but he's a phenomenal footballer, and I think he went to Villa, did well, and I think he's now joined a massive football club in Barcelona, and I think it'll work out for him.
"Man United's part of his history, he'll always love the football club, he's been there since he was seven years of age, I know his family love the football club as well, but life moves on. Big players leave football clubs, bigger players than Marcus have left Man United, and bigger players will leave the football club in the future as well, and hopefully he'll put Barcelona into Marcus Rashford’s history as well, with the shining light on it, and he'll look back on what a great move it's been."
Marcus Rashford speaks with Ruben Amorim
Marcus Rashford fell out of favour under Ruben Amorim
(Image: Getty Images)
Speaking about how he sees Rashford faring at Camp Nou, despite stiff competition from the likes of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal for his position, Butt added: "I've just got a sneaky feeling he’s just going to blow it away, I really do. Because I've known him since he was seven, eight, nine, he's got such natural ability.
"And I think when Marcus came onto the scene, a young player, he didn't have any fears, he didn't have anything going on in his head. I remember him making his England debut, he just got the ball and faced up the full-back and runs at them, and his best position is off the left, and he can play up front off the left, and he had no fear, he was doing it all the time.
"And then he got into the first team and become the star. He was coming and he had loads of hype around him with all the good stuff he was doing off the pitch as well. And I think Marcus was then thinking too much about his game, and I think that's what's killed him. But now going to Barcelona, I’ve just got a funny feeling that he'll do really well."
It comes after Rashford spoke out about United's woes following his loan move to Barcelona. He claimed that the Red Devils haven't properly adapted since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, despite welcoming a wealth of legendary successors.
Nicky Butt speaks to Aaron Morris
Nicky Butt believes Marcus Rashford is done with Manchester United
(Image: Aaron Morris / Reach PLC)
Speaking to Gary Lineker and Micah Richards on The Rest Is Football, Rashford said: "At times I feel like United has been...we’re hungry to win, so we will always try to adapt and sign players that fit this system, but it’s reactionary. If your directions are always changing, you can’t expect to win the league.
"You might win some cup tournaments, but it’s because you have a good coach, good players and you have match winners in your team, you’re not there by accident. This is what some people forget. Yeah we have been way lower than what people deem United to be, but if you take a step back, which I’ve been able to do, especially over the last six months, what do you expect?
"People say we have been in a transition for years. To be in a transition you need to start a transition. It’s like the actual transition has not started yet."
Since arriving at Barcelona, Rashford has played a part in each of the club's three La Liga clashes this season. He came on off the bench in a 3-0 win over Mallorca and a 1-1 stalemate with Rayo Vallecano, and started in a 3-2 win over Levante. He will now hope to feature in Barca's upcoming clash with Valencia on home soil come Sunday, September 14.