Marcus Rashford has denied giving the finger to Manchester United fans after being heckled following their Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid on Tuesday evening.
The England international, 24, played the final 23 minutes of the European tie but failed to make an impact as the Spanish champions won 1-0 (2-1 on aggregate). The result means United's wait for their next major trophy has entered a sixth year.
As he left on Old Trafford on Tuesday evening, Rashford was filmed by a United fan. One supporter was heard shouting: "Come on, Rashford" in an attempt to get the player's attention. Another added: "After that performance, come on guys."
Rashford then spoke to a steward before walking away and gesturing with his right hand. Some social media users believe he was giving the finger, although the player has since confirmed this was not the case.
A fan is later heard saying: "F*****g b*****d, f*****g b*****d." Another added: "He was f*****g s***e."
Responding to the social media video, Rashford wrote on Twitter: "A video can paint a thousand words and in this case lead to inaccurate info being shared on social media. Guys, for weeks I've been heckled, threatened, questioned and last night my emotion got the better of me. I'm a human being.
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"Reading and hearing that stuff about yourself every day, it wears you down. No one is more critical of my performance than me. But what you see in this video lacks context. I had been heckled from the minute I stepped foot outside the ground, abuse not just aimed at my football. People were looking for a reaction from me. Phones were at the ready.
"Of course, I should have walked straight past and ignored it - that's what we're supposed to do, right? I want to clarify two things. The first being what I actually said to the man throwing abuse at me which 'come over he and say it to my face' (a fact security can back up) and secondly, the fact I used my forefinger to direct the fan to 'come over and say it to my face'.
"I did not gesture with my middle finger. I am not entitled. This isn't ego. I'm upset. I'm disappointed. And in that moment it was silly, but I was being human."
Rashford has endured a difficult season since last summer's Euros, scoring just five goals for United in all competitions. He managed a combined total of 43 club goals in his previous two campaigns. Reports on Tuesday suggest he may be dropped by Gareth Southgate for England's friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast later this month.
Discussing Rashford's performance against Atletico, ex-England winger Chris Waddle said: "Some of the players have been here [at United] too long. Rashford doesn’t look like he wants to be here. Whether he’s lost confidence or belief, he’s definitely lost something.
"There years ago we were talking about what a player he could have been. In the final third there was nothing. It's down the sides where United have real problems. They used to have wingers that made things happen. They took people on.
"Now all we get are players that stop with the ball and pass back or inside. There's no effect on the flanks. Marcus Rashford looked absolutely terrible when he came on. Why do they keep playing him when he doesn’t want to be there, supposedly? I don't get that."
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