Gareth Southgate sends detailed message to Marcus Rashford, gives important Man Utd demand

Gareth Southgate has sent a detailed message to Marcus Rashford and given the Manchester United forward a clear demand.

On Tuesday afternoon, England manager Gareth Southgate announced his preliminary training squad for the 2024 European Championships, featuring three United players.

Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw, and Harry Maguire are among the 33-man squad preparing for the tournament in Germany. Southgate has yet to finalise the 26 players who will ultimately make the trip to Germany.

These three players will gather at St. George’s Park in the coming weeks, while forwards Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund, have been excluded from the squad.

Rashford’s form for Erik ten Hag’s side this season is the reason for his omission from the Three Lions squad. “So, with Marcus, I just feel that other players in that area of the pitch have had better seasons. It’s as simple as that,” admitted Southgate.

Despite making a notable impact at the 2022 World Cup with three goals for England, Rashford has not been selected in favour of players like Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka.

Following the announcement of the squad, Rashford wrote on his Instagram story: “Wishing Gareth and the boys all the best for the upcoming tournament.”

Southgate’s message to Rashford

Southgate provided further detail behind Rashford’s omission from the squad and claimed that he told the forward to make an impact during the FA Cup final this weekend.

“He wants to play for England, he loves playing for England, and the opportunity to play in tournaments is why you play international football,” Southgate said, as per The Athletic.

“I said to him, ‘You’ve got to go and score a couple of goals at the weekend now (against Manchester City in the FA Cup final) and put things right’.

“You are conscious of whether this is a fair call — and whether it is the right call for the group. And you are conscious of the impact on Marcus and Hendo (Jordan Henderson) because they are two people who, externally, have people jump on them very quickly.

“They know I am there to support them. Even though this has been a difficult conversation, both were really professional and respectful. I am aware that creates a bit more drama in their lives, which I don’t want them to experience, but it is a reality of the decision I’ve made.”