Marcus Rashford attends nightclub hours after Manchester derby defeat
Marcus Rashford went to a nightclub to celebrate his 26th birthday hours after Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat to rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford.
United suffered their seventh defeat of the season after being comprehensively outplayed by their neighbourhood rivals, going down timidly in front of their own supporters for the fourth time this season.
The Red Devils lost only one Premier League game at Old Trafford in Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge, with Rashford scoring many of his 30 goals in all competitions in front of his own supporters, but 2023/24 has seen the club fail to build on the momentum generated following Ten Hag’s appointment last year.
Rashford has scored just once in 13 appearances this season, and United have lost to Brighton, Crystal Palace and City at home in the Premier League, as well as going down 3-2 to Galatasaray in a topsy-turvy Champions League encounter.
The Telegraph are one of a number of outlets to report that Rashford went out to the popular Chinawhite nightclub in Manchester in the aftermath of Sunday’s defeat, with a pre-arranged party organised to celebrate the England international turning 26.
A number of Rashford’s teammates are understood to have attended the event, which may frustrate supporters who have been let down by the club’s inconsistent form.
Rashford is understood to have arrived for training as usual on Monday morning, with no adverse effects from a late night. But with United struggling in the Premier League – they sit eighth after losing five of their first 10 games – the night out is unlikely to have overly impressed manager Erik ten Hag, who is determined to raise standards across the club.
The Dutchman has banished Jadon Sancho from first-team duties after a public spat, with their falling out so severe that allowing the 23-year-old to leave the club on a long-term loan is a real consideration.
One of Ten Hag’s reasons for axing Sancho was his response to being dropped for United’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal in early September, when the manager publicly stated that Sancho’s poor performances in training and general attitude were not at the expected level.
Cristiano Ronaldo was also ushered out of the club in one of Ten Hag’s bravest moves to date, as he attempts to not only reverse an alarming slide of results on the pitch, but also adjust the culture and fabric of a club that have been in the doldrums – by their own lofty standards – for the past decade.
Rashford signed a new five-year contract at United this past summer, committing his future to the club until at least 2028.