Manchester United player blasted for “causing more problems” for Erik ten Hag

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards has laid into Marcus Rashford for not appreciating the responsibilities of being a public figure.

The remarks from Richards came after Erik ten Hag was forced to comment on Rashford’s absence from United’s matchday squad against Newport County in the FA Cup.

Rashford had missed training on Friday due to ‘illness’, with that same illness keeping him out of the travelling squad for United’s game against Newport.

Read More: Five things noticed – Newport 2-4 Manchester United (FA Cup)

This came after Rashford had been pictured in a Cork nightclub, ahead of a scheduled day off on Thursday.

However, it later emerged that Rashford was also in a nightclub in the Northern Ireland capital on Thursday night, just hours before being expected to report in for training.

Ahead of United’s tie against Newport Ten Hag stated that the Rashford incident was “an internal matter.”

Speaking at half-time of United’s aforementioned game, Richards explained that Rashford simply needs to appreciate that eyes will always be on him due to his stature.

“Marcus [Rashford] needs to understand he is a public figure, and wherever he goes, there is going to be attention on him,” Stated Richards. “Whether he is given a day off or whatever, but then before a game, he is causing more problems.”

Despite Rashford’s actions in Northern Ireland, specifically leading to Richards and co commenting on the off-the-pitch incidents surrounding United, such incidents have become a common theme across the Red Devils’ squad over the last 18 months.

The frequency of such incidents was another thing that drew Richards’ ire, with the Premier League-winning defender remarking the following:

“They wanted to come to the game today and focus on it, and now we are having to ask him [Erik ten Hag] what is happening off the pitch. It has not been good enough from the whole squad since Ten Hag has come to the club.”

Even with Rashford’s absence, United would successfully beat Newport, defeating their League Two opposition 4-2.

With United progressing into the fifth round of the FA Cup, they will now go on to face either Bristol City or Nottingham Forest in the next round of the competition.