Barcelona sporting director Deco has spoken out on Marcus Rashford's Manchester United struggles, claiming the forward shouldered too much responsibility during the club's rebuild
Marcus Rashford has impressed since his loan move to Barcelona
Marcus Rashford has impressed since his loan move to Barcelona(Image: Getty Images)
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Barcelona's sporting director Deco has suggested Marcus Rashford was burdened with excessive responsibility "too young" - which ultimately contributed to his difficulties at Manchester United.
The 28-year-old, currently on loan with the Catalan club, emerged as a teenage sensation a decade ago but has struggled to consistently perform season-on-season at Old Trafford, leaving his long-term future uncertain. He made his breakthrough under Louis van Gaal in 2016 - netting twice on his European debut.
Rashford's reputation soared rapidly, yet he has already served under five permanent bosses in Manchester and, from an early age, was viewed as one of the squad's key figures. He frequently found himself amongst the first to face criticism when the team underperformed.
Ruben Amorim seemed to question Rashford's commitment and he is now on his second temporary move away from Manchester, with Deco arguing he has been compelled to shoulder too much responsibility whilst the persistent instability has created problems.
He told The Times: "He's happy with us. Marcus is a fantastic player. He faced the responsibility of becoming an important player at Man United - United, like us, are one of the biggest clubs in the world - too young.
Marcus Rashford in action for Barcelona
Marcus Rashford in action for Barcelona(Image: Getty Images)
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"He suffered a bit with this change of generation at United too. If you see United in the last five years, they had difficulties rebuilding the team, to become stronger again.
"He was there. So it's not easy for a player [from whom] people demand a lot. When you are an important player, you have a lot of responsibility.
"We were looking for a player like him on the market. A player that could play in the three positions up front.
"We were able to sign Marcus on loan now because of his desire to play for Barcelona. He waited a lot. He knew that we were dealing with financial rules. But he was patient. He waited and we're happy to have him."
It's yet to be determined whether Rashford's move to Barcelona will become a permanent one, although there is an option in his loan agreement. Despite a wealth of talent in Catalunya, Rashford has still proved a valuable addition, scoring an impressive double on his return to England against Newcastle earlier this season.
The United loanee has found the back of the net six times during his loan spell and appears to have regained his form. With his childhood club, he has experienced significant highs, including a season where he reached the 30-goal mark, but has also faced harsh criticism when things haven't gone as expected.