- Marcus Rashford has not played in any of Manchester United’s last 12 matches
- A report has claimed the Amorim quickly clashed with the forward at the club
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Marcus Rashford and Ruben Amorim‘s relationship was in tatters just days into the Man United manager’s tenure, according to a report.
Rashford has effectively been exiled from the Red Devils’ squad since a bombshell interview in December, where he said he was ready for a new challenge away from Old Trafford.
He has not played any of United’s last 12 games and it has now been claimed when Amorim’s patience was up with the 27-year-old.
Difficulties in their relationship can be traced back to the days leading up to United’s 4-0 win over Everton on December 1 – Amorim’s third game in charge – according to the Sun.
In a heated conversation before the game, Rashford was reportedly accused of going on a night out by the Portuguese boss, and the interaction allegedly followed up with the manager questioning his professionalism.
Rashford denied the accusations and was adamant he had done nothing wrong.
‘Marcus got called in by Amorim who said he believed he had breached discipline by going out,’ a source reportedly told the publication.
‘Marcus denied it and was adamant he had done nothing wrong. He asked the manager to show him the proof he’d been out and said something along the lines of, “Are you calling me a liar?”
‘Their relationship has never recovered, and it’s hard to see how it ever will now.’
The source also claimed Rashford believes he has been ‘picked on’, with the player said to feel Amorim under orders from Man United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to ensure he leaves the club to offload his £325,000-a-week wages.
Rashford had last year been dropped by then-Man United boss Erik ten Hag for an FA Cup match against Newport County on January 28 2024, after he was seen partying in Belfast hours before saying he was too ill to train.
He reportedly faced a fine of up to £650,000 for the incident – two weeks worth of wages.
Prior to this, Rashford was also criticised by Ten Hag in October 2023, after he was seen partying on his 26th birthday hours after losing to Manchester City in the derby.
Last week, Amorim aimed an astonishing dig at Rashford, saying he would rather play his 63-year-old goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital than the unsettled United star.
‘It’s always the same reason,’ said Amorim after United’s 1-0 win at Fulham on January 26.
‘The reason is the training. The way I see what a footballer should do in training, in life, every day. If things don’t change, I will not change.
‘You can see it today on the bench. We needed a little bit of pace to change the game to move some pieces, but I prefer it like that.
‘I will put Vital on before I put a player that doesn’t give the maximum. I will not change in that department.’
Despite their reported issues behind the scenes, Amorim has insisted that United are a better team with Rashford, and that he would welcome United’s academy-bred talent back into the squad if he changed his ways in training.
‘Our team should be so much better with Rashford, but Rashford has to change,’ Amorim said ahead of United’s 2-0 win over Steaua Bucharest on Thursday.
‘If he changes, we would more than welcome a talent like Rashford – and we need him. We need goals, we need one against one, we need a threat in the final third.
‘But in this moment, I think it’s really clear we have to set some standards, that’s all. We are waiting for Marcus if he wants it really, really bad. That’s the only thing.’
A day later, Amorim seemed to take a thinly-veiled dig at Rashford by praising Alejandro Garnacho for his shift in attitude on the training ground.
Garnacho and Rashford were both dropped for United’s win against Man City in December after Amorim said he was unhappy with their attitude in training, but the former has seemingly made his way back into the manager’s good books.
‘He [Garnacho] changed right away since that game from City,’ said Amorim, his choice of words immediately drawing comparisons with his comments about Rashford 24 hours earlier. ‘The way he understands things and understands that I just want to help him. I just want to win games.
‘The approach when we talked with him. He changed in everything. The way he recovers. He understands that sometimes I am a different coach, that I am demanding in my way and sometimes it is hard to make the first impact. Because he is a different kind of coach.
‘He understands that he is never in a bad way. It is always for him. But I am a different person. I think all the merit is for Garnacho. He is improving and we want to continue to improve with Garnacho. He understood the position, the moments of playing inside and outside. The connection with Mainoo. I think he is improving a lot.’
Rashford has made 23 appearances in all competitions for United this season, scoring seven goals and providing three assists in those games.
He has been earmarked with a move away from Old Trafford throughout January, having been linked to Aston Villa, AC Milan, Dortmund and a plethora of other clubs.
