Marcus Rashford will be watching from afar as Manchester United take on Tottenham in the Europa League final.
During his 10 years in the Manchester United first team, Marcus Rashford has played in two Europa League finals.
Rashford won the 2017 Europa League final under Jose Mourinho, starting up front in a side that beat Ajax 2-0.
Four years later, United lost the 2021 Europa League final under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Rashford playing the entire 120 minutes and scoring from the spot in a chaotic shootout against Villarreal.
After that loss, Rashford made a promise to United fans that he can no longer keep.
Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Marcus Rashford’s emotional Europa League final speech in 2021
United were making progress under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and in the 2020/21 season the Red Devils finished second in the Premier League and reached a European final.
Unfortunately, the Red Devils fell short in the Gdansk final, and Rashford let his emotions out in his post-match interview.
"The club, the desire, the hunger, the talent, the ability, the squad. We have everything to compete at the highest level."
That one hurt Marcus Rashford.
A passionate post-match interview where he holds nothing back…
🎙 @archiert1 | #UELfinal pic.twitter.com/zIlLU7tFvs
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 26, 2021
View Tweet
More United News
Rashford expressed his disappointment but promised that he and United would be back on the top step soon.
“All I can say is the team will not give up. There’s no chance that the team gives up. The manager will not give up. He will not allow us to give up. We will come next season with a bigger desire. The club, Manchester United – people say a lot about Manchester United, they’re going downhill, blah blah blah blah blah – but for me, the club, the desire, the hunger, the talent, the ability, the squad… we have everything to compete at the highest level.
“We just have to show – show it to the world and show it to ourselves. Show why we belong in the top places, show why we belong in finals like this, show why we need to be winning finals like this.
“When Ole came in there was a process and the players, we believe in this process. This isn’t the end of the process. Part of the process is having ups and having downs, and we’ve had plenty of ups and downs every single season.
“Just because we lose today, I promise, I promise you, I promise the fans – we don’t give up. There is no chance we give up. We come next season with more desire, more hunger and we have to do our best on the pitch. We have to give 110 percent and if what I just said, the sacrifice… it means a lot because I know, in every club they don’t have this sacrifice. But in the top clubs they have and that’s why they win the trophies.”
Marcus Rashford quit Man United before delivering promise
Rashford’s interview after the 2021 final was refreshingly honest and raw from the academy talent, but four years later he is nowhere to be seen ahead of the trip to Bilbao.
Ruben Amorim was critical of Rashford’s attitude at Carrington, and eventually he became frozen out of United’s squad and loaned out to Aston Villa in January.
It now seems inevitable that Rashford will leave permanently in the summer with United valuing his signature at around £40 million.
Rashford promised United fans that he wouldn’t give up, and since that final he has added another FA Cup and League Cup to his trophy cabinet, but it did seem in the winter that he pushed to leave rather than fight for his position.
READ MORE: Whether Antony and Marcus Rashford could receive medals if Man Utd win the Europa League
A return to Old Trafford in the summer seems unlikely, with Rashford expecting to be sold to anyone who is willing to meet his £40m valuation and wage demands – whether that be Villa or another club.
United can prove on Wednesday night that they are worthy of being European champions with or without Rashford in the side.