Under pressure Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been slammed for taking a “cheap shot” at Marcus Rashford following his comments on the attacker’s humanitarian efforts.
Rashford was awarded an MBE in 2020 and an honorary doctorate this year after his work around helping children living in food poverty.
The England international was at the forefront of a campaign last year that led to a government U-turn on funding for free school meals.
He has continued to put pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to help children in poverty, even meeting with the Conservative leader to discuss the issue.
The 23-year-old had been ruled out of the first few months of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery following Euro 2020.
But heading into his first match back for the Red Devils, Solskjaer urged Rashford to put his off-the-field work to one side and concentrate on football.
“He is coming into the best age for a footballer and he's got a challenge on his hands here at Manchester United - and has a challenge on his hands to play for England,” the United boss said.
“Marcus has done some remarkable and fantastic things. But now he maybe needs to prioritise his football.”
Was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer right to criticise Marcus Rashford? Comment below.
Those comments were condemned by many, with Solskjaer forced to backtrack after Rashford came off the bench to score his side’s second goal in the defeat to Leicester City.
Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has joined the condemnation of Solskjaer, insisting that Rashford’s work is clearly having no effect on him.
“Ole’s back-tracked there in his second interview because he knows the backlash that he’s received from the media, from ex-players, from pundits,” Agbonlahor told talkSPORT.
“Because Marcus Rashford what he’s done for kids, he’s challenged the government, made them change their mind.
“I mean, who’s done that before? During the pandemic as well, he changed the government’s mind to give kids free-school meals.
“So, even if it was affecting his football, who cares? He’s making a difference in the world, helping these kids, what if these kids didn’t have Marcus Rashford, they’d be going to school not eating.
“But it’s not affecting his football. He’s been injured, he’s had niggles with his injuries, he’s come back at the weekend, scored, probably the only plus point Manchester United had in the game.”
Agbonlahor has also accused Solskjaer of firing a “cheap shot” at his star attacker, comparing Rashford’s work to other players who have businesses outside of football.
“There’s been players all over the years who had businesses that they’ve been running after training,” he said.
“Players that have kids, who have taking their kids after school to this, to that, seeing family members, looking after ill family members.
“That’s not going to stop you from when you’re on a training pitch putting 100 per cent in. Marcus Rashford getting kids free school meals is not going to stop him running in behind and playing well.
“So, I thought it was a cheap shot from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and he’s tried to backtrack. Even when he was saying the comments, he was stuttering because he was thinking ‘I shouldn’t say this’.
“He deserves to be criticised for it.”
