Graeme Souness has revealed the nickname Marcus Rashford would have inherited if the Manchester United star was part of the Liverpool dressing room in his day.
Marcus Rashford was widely criticised after he was spotted visiting Belfast nightclubs last month before he reported ill for Manchester United’s training session.
The 26-year-old United star subsequently missed his side’s 4-2 FA Cup victory in the fourth round over Newport County at the Rodney Parade last month.
Erik ten Hag was questioned on Rashford’s visit to nightclubs in Northern Ireland and the United boss insisted that it would be an internal matter he would handle.
United released a statement last month to confirm that Rashford had apologised for his actions and the Premier League club considered the disciplinary matter resolved.
Rashford was immediately brought back to United’s starting XI for the Wolves clash on Thursday and the Red Devils star opened the scoring at the Molineux.
United fans reacted to the England star’s performance in the thrilling 4-3 win against Wolves, with Ten Hag’s decision to start Rashford paying off for his side.
Souness on United star Rashford
Marcus Rashford’s actions last month sparked reactions from different figures, including Roy Keane offering his verdict on the Manchester United star.
United legend Rio Ferdinand also dropped his two cents on Rashford, while Gary Neville was asked how Sir Alex Ferguson would have dealt with the player.
Speaking in his column for The Daily Mail, Graeme Souness pulled no punches towards Rashford and claimed the United star’s career was “crashing.”
The ex-Sky Sports pundit insisted that Rashford’s actions would have been “slaughtered” in the dressing room from his playing days.
Liverpool legend Souness then added that Three Lions international Rashford would have earned the nickname “the village idiot” among his peers in the dressing room.
“When I look at the way Marcus Rashford’s career is crashing, I can’t help thinking back to the Liverpool dressing room I was a part of and what we would have had to say about a teammate behaving like this,” he wrote for the newspaper.
“I assure you that we simply would not have allowed anyone to conduct himself in such a way.
“The other pros in our dressing room would have slaughtered him. He would have been called ‘the idiot.’ ‘The village idiot.’
“He would have been hounded. Ridiculed. Ours wasn’t a dressing room of saints but we had a night out at the right time.”
Souness uses Ferguson in defence of Rashford criticism
Souness’ criticism of Rashford is harsh after the United star made an immediate impact on his return for United.
However, Rashford’s behaviour off the pitch has left much to be desired and the United forward needs to focus on his football amid his side’s up-and-down season.
The United star has been under mounting criticism over his form this season after failing to replicate the high standards he hit in the previous campaign.
Souness defended his criticism of Rashford by claiming that it “would have been the same response” for the player if he were in Ferguson’s United dressing room.
“I believe it would have been the same response in Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United dressing room,” he continued.
“Rashford wouldn’t have got away with this behaviour at that club in the past because the senior players would have pointed out to him that it’s not the way to act.
“Fergie would certainly not have tolerated it, either.”
