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Marcus Rashford has sent a message to his critics with a response to Jamie Carragher as he looks to get his Manchester United career back on track.
The English forward spent last season on loan at Barcelona, winning the La Liga title with the Catalans and impressing under Hansi Flick. His tally of 14 goals and 15 assists in 49 games wasn't enough to secure a permanent move to Camp Nou, though, as the Spanish giants opted not to trigger a £26 million buy option.
United's stance appeared to be that there was no future for Rashford at Old Trafford after an unceremonious departure back in the winter of 2024. He headed to Aston Villa on loan for the second half of that campaign after falling out with former head coach Ruben Amorim.
'Stop it' Carragher Hits Out at Neville Over Rashford
Jamie Carragher
Rashford has been given a second chance by Michael Carrick, who replaced Amorim in January and knows the player well. They were teammates in the latter stages of the United boss's playing career, and he coached him as an assistant to Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Carrick's appointment caused a U-turn, and Rashford is now back, ready for a new Premier League campaign with his boyhood club. That hasn't stopped the media, pundits, and fans from debating whether it's the right move for both the player and the club to make amends.
Gary Neville brought Rashford's name up during the latest episode of The Overlap's Stick to Football. The former United captain asked his colleagues what they made of his return, but this riled up Carragher, who wasn't interested in discussing it:
After Neville responded, 'No,' Carragher told him to 'stop it' and pointed out that each episode of their podcast seemed to include a segment on Rashford or Trent Alexander-Arnold. The English right-back made a controversial move from Liverpool to Real Madrid last summer.
Their exchange continued when Neville highlighted that Rashford had just returned to United. Carragher said:
Rashford has been a hot topic in English football for years, especially when he clashed with Carrick's predecessor, Amorim. His star power has led to constant scrutiny, including within the United fanbase, as some have reservations about his reunion with the Red Devils.
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Rashford Responds to Carragher and Neville's Argument
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Carragher's defense of Rashford didn't go unnoticed by the United star, who thanked the former Liverpool defender for not wanting to delve into the situation regarding his return. He posted a telling message on X:
Rashford broke through United's youth system before debuting at the age of 18 with a brace against Midtjylland in the UEFA Europa League in February 2016. He has since appeared 426 times for the club, scoring 138 goals and winning the Europa League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
Carlos Baleba in action for Brighton & Hove Albion
Carlos Baleba in action for Brighton & Hove Albion
Carrick is delighted to have the England international back in his squad for the new season and is thought to have played an important role in his return. He will be competing with Matheus Cunha on the left wing, while he could provide backup to Benjamin Sesko up front.