Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has called for the club to take action following Marcus Rashford's latest disciplinary breach.
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Rashford spotted clubbing in BelfastMissed FA Cup clash against NewportBerbatov says there is "no excuse" for ill disciplineGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
The England international was pictured in a Belfast nightclub partying until the early hours of last Wednesday morning, resulting in him missing training and subsequently his side's FA Cup clash at Newport. United managed fine without him but Rashford's team-mates are now thought to be "angry" with the 26-year-old. Ex-Red Devil Berbatov has shared that sentiment, saying there's "no excuse" for such ill discipline.
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The former Premier League striker told : "There is no excuse for Marcus Rashford's indiscipline. I'd like to find an excuse because I'll always try to defend the players because I've been there. I know how it is, what it sometimes takes from you being a professional under pressure. You want to relax – and you can do it – but only if you don't skip training the next day. From what I understand, he was not sick. It sounds like he didn't feel confident and fit enough to go to training, which doesn't look good for him in a professional way.
"First and foremost, as a professional and a United player, you're a footballer and the team is your number one priority. If you're fit and don't have family problems, you need to be at training. If a player goes partying and doesn't go to training the next day, then I can't defend his behaviour. From what I saw from [Erik] Ten Hag, you could see on his face that he was angry about the whole situation."
Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
It is not the first time Rashford has been punished for disciplinary reasons. The England striker was late for a team meeting ahead of a clash with Wolves in late 2022, which also saw him fined. However, Berbatov has called on the club to do more before Rashford causes long-term damage to his career, adding: "I'll never stop saying Rashford is a big talent, but if he doesn't correct his behaviour then he won't fulfil his potential. When someone isn't famous for disciplinary issues or different antics outside of the football pitch and they start acting in an unprofessional way, it's always surprising.
"There must be a reason for the change in Rashford's behaviour. If United don't tackle the root cause then this behaviour will continue. If United find the answer to why he's behaving like this and help him, then hopefully he'll continue to play and be more focused and concentrated. His form on the pitch has been up and down and, as mentioned, he's been late to the team meeting before. So something is not right and until United fix it, I think his behaviour will continue like this."
DID YOU KNOW?
Despite the noise around his disciplinary issues off the pitch, Rashford is still regarded as one of Europe's hottest properties. Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain recently reignited their interest in the forward and could make a move if Kylian Mbappe leaves in the summer.