- The forward became a Red Devils icon with his electric form and charity work
- But his displays have dropped and he has been excluded from the England squad
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Marcus Rashford has been spotted putting his disappointing England snub behind him by watching an NBA game courtside in New York wearing a flashy set of grills.
The Manchester United forward was in attendance for the New York Knick’s clash with the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden.
Rashford took in the game after being left out of England interim boss Lee Carsley’s squad for their Nations League matches.
The forward could be seen entering the arena with a big white hoodie and black leather trousers but once he settled into his seat he looked comfortable in a black t-shirt.
Before the game started, Rashford was greeted by a host of NBA players including Jalen Brunson and stars of the entertainment world such as Spike Lee.
And as he sat down to watch the game, the United striker, flanked by the likes of Hollywood icon Ben Stiller, appeared to have something in his mouth.
It soon emerged that he was sporting a glitzy new set of grills to match his extravagant outfit.
Rashford had been joined by his friend Ro-Shaun Williams, who plays for Northern Irish side Larne, with the pair having come up through the United ranks together.
The star had previously travelled to Belfast to meet Williams in January, after his former team-mate had signed for Larne.
The trip ultimately led to Rashford being disciplined by recently sacked Man United boss Erik ten Hag, after the forward had called in sick following an all-day drinking session in Belfast the previous day.
Williams was with Rashford during his infamous Belfast bender in January.
The pair watched as the Knicks ended up winning the New York derby 124-122 in a thriller at the Garden.
On his return to Manchester, Rashford will be eager to impress the club’s new head coach Ruben Amorim, who officially started work at the club this week.
The Portuguese is likely to take his preferred 3-4-3 formation with him from Sporting Lisbon and the system will require the wider men in the front three to tuck in as No10s as well as pushing out to the flanks.
This is likely to suit Rashford’s versatility more than that of out-and-out wingers Garnacho and Amad Diallo and may give him the opportunity to revitalise his career.
One manager he has caught the eye of lately is incoming England boss Thomas Tuchel who reportedly contacted Rashford’s camp to let him know he is a huge admirer.
That could lead to a recall as early as March in the first international break of next year, giving Rashford the gave to potentially add to his 60 England caps.
A source told The Sun: ‘Tuchel contacted Marcus and his representatives and told them he saw Marcus as an essential part of the England squad. He said he believed a big part of England’s failure to win Euro 2024 was not having Marcus as an option.
‘Other teams fear his abilities and Tuchel said he believed without Rashford, England didn’t offer a strong attacking threat on the left and that made them easier to play against as a lot of the ball came down the right.’
Rashford’s discipline was called into question earlier this year when he phoned in sick for United training after allegedly downing shots of tequila during a boozy trip to the Northern Irish capital.
A waitress, who claims she was invited out by the England star, said at the end of the night he was so drunk that he dropped wads of cash in front of her in his five-star hotel room, moments before she was forced to put him to bed after he passed out.
Speaking to The Sun, Sarah Adair claimed Rashford, who is reportedly paid £325,000 a week, invited her on the ‘weird’ night out in which she said he was ‘clearly on a mission to get drunk’.
The footballer, who was pictured having dinner with his childhood sweetheart fiance Lucia Loi in November months after they split, was also allegedly seen arguing with a French woman at a nightclub.
Rashford’s behaviour, which saw him dropped from the Manchester United team and saw the club issue a statement saying he had ‘taken responsibility’, is alleged to have angered his team-mates with one source saying: ‘They couldn’t believe that he would do that given the situation the club is in.’
Rashford had arrived in the Northern Irish capital on Wednesday on a private jet from Manchester, before checking into the five-star Fitzwilliam Hotel and heading out to the Dirty Onion pub and Lavery’s bar, it’s claimed.
The next day, after visiting Larne FC – who his friend Williams had just signed for – the 26-year-old went to the Italian restaurant where Adair works.
The mother of on told the Sun she didn’t initially recognise the footballer, who reportedly signed a £375,000-a-week contract with Manchester United last year, and only found out when her manager told her who he was.
The 30-year-old said Rashford was joined by two men and two women, one of whom was ‘French and very beautiful’, with the group ordering food and drinks.
She claimed that the footballer ordered sea bass but didn’t touch his food, instead focusing on shots of tequila and cocktails, before inviting her to join the group on their night out.
After she agreed to join him, Rashford asked Adair whether she knew any nightclubs that would remain open beyond 3am if he paid them enough money.
