Roy Keane gives reaction to Marcus Rashford partying after Man Utd defeat

15 November 2023 , 09:43

1174     0

Roy Keane gives reaction to Marcus Rashford partying after Man Utd defeat

Roy Keane admits he "wouldn't be too harsh" on Marcus Rashford after his late-night partying in the aftermath of his side's Manchester derby mauling.

Manchester City rocked up to Old Trafford and dominated their rivals, leaving with the three points after a routine 3-0 win that saw Manchester United outclassed. It served to highlight the gulf between the sides with none of United's leading lights stepping up.

That has been the story of their season with Rashford, who excelled last term, scoring just once in the league and struggling for form. As a result, his decision to go out on that Sunday night to a well-known nightclub was met with anger from fans and his manager Erik ten Hag.

Keane though, who played in an era where players would go out drinking after games, appeared surprisingly relaxed about the saga. He said on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet: “I wouldn’t be too harsh on him [Marcus Rashford], forget that it was his birthday, if people want to go out you try to pick and choose the right place, but he’s a young lad and doesn’t look like he’s a big drinker.

"I’ve had some of my best drinking sessions after a defeat – win or lose you hit the booze – so was it smart to go into the middle of Manchester after you’ve just got beaten? No. But he’s human and I guarantee that he wasn’t drinking 10-15 pints and if fans want to get upset, they’ll get upset anyways. I’ve often gone out, win or lose, you have a session. Sometimes the best time to have a session is when you’ve been beaten, but maybe not in a club in the middle of Manchester, you can still find a little sneaky pub somewhere.”

Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash

Gary Neville also added: "My view on it was, be smart, make a better decision – could you have moved it to your house [instead of going to a club]? Celebrate your birthday but don’t get caught.”

Marcus Rashford has struggled for goals this term (Getty Images)

Rashford was left out for the following game at Fulham, which United put down to an injury concern, but the timing did little to stem the rumour mill with Ten Hag known for his hard-lined approach to discipline. Something Rashford knows about having been dropped after arriving late to a team meeting last term.

The forward has apologised for going out in the aftermath of the derby defeat, but Ten Hag confessed he was not impressed. "I spoke with him about it. It's unacceptable, I told him, he apologised and that's it. For the rest it's an internal matter," said the Dutchman, who has backed the England international to recapture his best form.

Samuel Meade