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Manchester United will offer Marcus Rashford counselling if the England star reaches out for help in the wake of his drinking binge in Belfast.
Rashford has accepted the blame for missing training on Friday after partying with friends until 3am that morning, then misleading the club into thinking he had been out on Wednesday night instead.
The 26-year-old is in contention to return against Wolves in the Premier League on Wednesday night after ‘taking responsibility’ for his transgression in talks with manager Erik ten Hag and football director John Murtough.
There have been concerns over Rashford’s dramatic loss of form this season, and former Premier League strikers Chris Sutton and Alan Shearer expressed their alarm over the revelations surrounding the 12-hour tequila binge in Belfast.
It is the second time this season he has upset Ten Hag by going to a nightclub – and it is thought the club have been worried about him since autumn 2021.
Mail Sport pundit Sutton claimed Rashford is ‘out of control’ while Shearer warned the player not to waste his career.
United are taking the situation very seriously and are committed to supporting Rashford physically and mentally through another dark period.
Professional help is available to any player, although it would be up to Rashford if he wants to accept it. Sources say that the support is ‘part and parcel’ of any football club and open to all the United players, not just Rashford.
It has been reported that former United and England stars Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand have reached out to him, too.
The Professional Footballers’ Association are also ready to offer support. The organisation’s player support team pay close attention to players they believe would benefit from the care services they can provide.
Rashford sought the help of a sports psychologist following his penalty miss in the Euro 2020 final shootout defeat by Italy at Wembley which led to him being a target for racist abuse.
Rashford is due back in training this morning after the United squad enjoyed a day off ahead of the trip to Molineux.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
