Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag joked about sending Marcus Rashford to Macclesfield during crisis talks with club directors.
That’s per the Manchester Evening News, who reported Ten Hag made a mockery of Rashford during a meeting with United’s higher-ups towards the end of last season.
One person in the room noted Rashford had been disciplined twice in one season and suggested if it happened under Sir Alex Ferguson’s watch, the player would have been shipped to non-league side Macclesfield.
It is believed Ten Hag agreed and joked if there were enough forwards in the squad at his disposal, he would have made it a reality.
Rashford enjoyed a strong return to form when the Dutchman arrived at Old Trafford in 2022, reaching the peak of his powers in Ten Hag’s first year and becoming the first United player to reach 30 goals in a season since Robin van Persie in the title-winning 2012-13 campaign.
The academy graduate won the club’s Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year awards, scoring in the triumphant 2023 EFL Cup final against Newcastle United and bringing the Red Devils back to the mainstage of English football.
Marcus Rashford’s 2022/23 season by numbers:
🏟️ 56 games
⚽ 30 goals
🅰️ 10 assists
⏱️ 108 mins per goal and assistAnother big season incoming. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/BDoh14VwFA
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) August 8, 2023
Ultimately, Rashford and Ten Hag’s relationship soon hit a stumbling block the following season with a difference of opinion over the coaching approach. When the former Ajax boss was dismissed from his role in October, that was the beginning of the end.
New manager Ruben Amorim’s third game in charge was a 4-0 home win over Everton, in which Rashford scored twice. Amorim later discovered that Rashford had been out in Manchester less than 48 hours before, however the player told his boss he was misinformed.
Weeks later, one day before a Manchester derby clash at the Etihad Stadium, Rashford’s performance in training was deemed lacklustre and the club were led to believe the player had again gone out drinking the night before.
Both incidents led to Rashford’s exile from the matchday squad and resulted in a loan move to fellow Premier League outfit Aston Villa in the January transfer window.
