A former Red Devils star has pointed out Marcus Rashford's biggest mistake with Ruben Amorim as the forward's Manchester United career appears to be coming to an end
Marcus Rashford's biggest mistake was speaking to the media before head coach Ruben Amorim, says Lee Sharpe.
Rashford, 27, was once again left out of United's matchday squad as they secured a surprise 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. Despite Amorim repeatedly playing down the Englishman's exclusion as illness-related, Rashford has only been included on the bench once in the last six matches.
The forward last month left United bosses shell-shocked by carrying out a bombshell interview with journalist Henry Winter, where he admitted he needed a "new challenge" but left it unclear whether he sought a fresh start under a different manager or an outright exit. Rashford's last appearance for the Red Devils came when they beat Viktoria Plzen 2-1 in the Europa League on December 12.
Now offering his thoughts on the unsavoury saga involving the club's former talisman, ex-United winger Sharpe suspects Rashford's failure to confront Amorim personally before going public might be why he's been frozen out since.
Sharpe told William Hill: "Yes, you ideally want to wait until the end of the season and then speak with the manager. But again, we don't know what exactly Marcus has meant by wanting a new challenge.
"We can all speculate that it is time for him to move on from Manchester United and start a new challenge at a new club but could also mean a new challenge with Amorim and working to get back to his best.
"Amorim has said a Manchester United team with Rashford is better with him, not without him, so there is motivation here for Rashford to return to his best form. But as Amorim looks to see every player perform, he has decided to drop Rashford. So, it's up to Marcus to respond."
Prior to Rashford's illness, Amorim seemed to be adamant that the Mancunian still had a future under him. That was showcased by his inclusion on the bench at home against Newcastle last Monday, which ended in a 2-0 defeat.
Yet reports have suggested he could leave this January transfer window. Italian side Napoli - who signed his former team-mate Scott McTominay in the summer - are believed to be interested, even though Amorim claimed the team is better when the forward is in the starting line-up
Amorim said last month: "I spoke with a lot of players individually and during training. What I want is to take the best of Marcus Rashford. I don't talk about the future; I just talk about the present.
"I want the best from each one of them. I just want to win and help the team be better. We are better with Marcus Rashford and it's that simple. We will try different things to push Rashford to the best levels that he has shown me in the past."
Rashford may still be called upon by the Portuguese coach as United enter another difficult period in the season. They face Arsenal in the FA Cup third round at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, before hosting Southampton in the Premier League on January 16 in a must-win encounter.
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