Gary Neville has compared Marcus Rashford to David Beckham while insisting that Manchester United “could never sell” the England star.
Neville, who played with Beckham when he was the subject of intense media scrutiny for his relationship with Victoria Beckham, believes Rashford has simplified his game and returned to doing what he does best after dealing with similar scrutiny.
The former United defender previously dismissed calls for the club to sell the forward, claiming that they “could never sell” such a talented player.
Gary Neville’s comment
“There was that period in his life during lockdown where he achieved so much off the pitch,” Neville told Sky Sports. “It’s hard. I played with [David] Beckham who had that off-the-field focus at times, whether it be in the earlier parts of his career when he started going out with Victoria [Beckham] and he had to cope with that off the pitch scrutiny all the time. Marcus had that for a couple of years whereby it brought pressure.
“Marcus Rashford has got back to what he does, he’s simplified his life, he’s still achieving great things off the pitch but in a more measured manner. There were people saying that Marcus Rashford needed to be sold by Manchester United. Manchester United could never sell Marcus Rashford. He’s a massive talent. It’s great to see him in an England shirt, and I think he’s pushed himself into a position where he will start on Sunday.”
Rashford became England’s joint-top scorer in the 2022 World Cup after scoring twice in a 3-0 win over Wales on Tuesday night. As Neville stated, the resurgent forward – whose first goal was a stunning free-kick – has played himself into contention for a starting spot against AFCON champions Senegal in the round of 16 on Sunday, as Gareth Southgate faces a selection headache.
Rashford became the first Manchester United player since Bobby Charlton in 1966 to score three goals for England in a major tournament.He’ll be hoping he’s done enough to earn a place in Southgate’s starting eleven against Senegal on Sunday, with a place in the quarter-finals on the line.
