Within the story of Marcus Rashford’s trip to Belfast last week there was a lot of detail about what he did: from how many drinks he supposedly consumed to what he ordered for dinner. Imagine being a 26-year-old going through a tough time professionally, making a bad decision and every element being plastered over the papers and websites. Few industries are subject to this level of intrusion, making it important for a young man like Rashford to get the balance right.
I will not condone what Rashford did. It was a bad decision to be in a Northern Ireland nightclub until the early hours on a work day before calling in sick. Although he is young by any normal measure, he has been at the top of this industry for almost a decade and should understand what is and is not acceptable.
Footballers are, however, judged to a higher standard than most because they are seen as role models thanks to their financial success and popularity with supporters. Footballers should be allowed out to enjoy themselves but Rashford’s timing was clearly poor. He knows he will be recognised, so going incognito is extremely difficult. All the same, moving on from the situation is sensible. He is not the first to find himself in hot water over this type of event and he certainly will not be the last.
Rashford is struggling with his form, unable to replicate the highs of recent seasons. When everything is going right for a player their thinking is clearer, allowing them to make better decisions on and off the pitch. Manchester United is a high pressure environment with extremely high expectations. Performances mean his place in the team is under scrutiny, which can be a heavy burden.
In almost any other job if you want to blow off a bit of steam, no one outside your immediate work environment will care. With Rashford, his extracurricular activities are deemed noteworthy by the wider world. Few of us can review our mid-20s and say we made consistently sensible choices. We do not have too many 26-year-old chief executives of business because making consistently well thought out decisions requires committing a few mistakes along the way. Everyone makes mistakes, you accept them, learn and move on.
It is positive to see Rashford acknowledged his error of judgment and held talks with Erik ten Hag to resolve the matter in a satisfactory manner, ensuring he was available for Thursday’s trip to Wolves. The best way for a footballer to make amends is to be productive in matches. Most indiscretions can be forgotten when someone is providing worth on the pitch.
Ten Hag has made clear since he was appointed that the discipline of his players is integral to his methods and United need everyone to align to reach the team’s potential. “In football you need discipline and that is on the pitch but also off the pitch,” he said on Wednesday. He also said that “every top professional knows what is required”. Those abiding by the rules will be annoyed by those who flout them, although Rashford is not the first to fall the wrong side of the line at United.
There will be a sense of frustration in the dressing room and Rashford will need to answer to teammates who feel let down by an important member of the squad that can make the difference between winning and losing. I would be disappointed if my teammate was unable to train after being in a nightclub, regardless of the legitimacy of their illness. But the other part of me would be thinking I need to check in with this player and find out why they did it,ask if everything else is OK in my teammate’s life. The human side in my thought process would kick in because you have to look out for your teammate and colleague.
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It is a critical few months for Rashford because he will be aiming to find form before the Euros in Germany this summer and these headlines will not have gone down well with Gareth Southgate. United will, at the same time, be desperately trying to qualify for the Champions League against the backdrop of the Ineos investment, which could bring major changes. Rashford would want to be at the forefront of a new era at the club he has grown up with.
Rashford was in the wrong and, importantly, he knows it. He also knows the best way to make it up to the fans, his teammates and coaches is by doing the day job to the best of his ability. Making smart decisions is not just about knowing when to pass or shoot; it comes in all aspects of life for footballers who are under the microscope. Mistakes are part of the rich tapestry of life and most important is what we learn from them.
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