Paul Scholes has launched a scathing assessment of Marcus Rashford’s final months at Manchester United, accusing the England forward of “quitting” on the club before his loan move to Barcelona.
Rashford, 27, left Old Trafford on a season-long loan this summer after falling out with head coach Ruben Amorim and being exiled from the first-team set-up.
The winger’s last game in United colours came back in December, a 2-1 Europa League win against Viktoria Plzen, before he was sent on loan to Aston Villa for the second half of the 2024–25 campaign.
Since joining Barcelona, Rashford has hit the ground running.
He opened his account with a stunning brace in the Champions League, inspiring a 2-1 win over Newcastle with his second strike — a curling effort from distance — already tipped as a goal of the season contender.
The performance appeared to announce his return to form, but Scholes insists he cannot celebrate the revival because of the way Rashford’s United career unravelled.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, the former United midfielder said: “There’s no doubt about the talent that kid has got — it’s ridiculous.
Paul Scholes has launched a scathing assessment of Marcus Rashford’s final months at Manchester United, accusing the England forward of “quitting” on the club before his loan move to Barcelona
|REUTERS/X
“That second goal was brilliant, but I really struggled to feel happy for him, to feel pleased for him.
“Mainly because of his attitude at United. When he was leaving, I thought it was just disgraceful. Not trying, basically.
“Look, if you’ve fallen out with a manager, OK, but you’ve still got team-mates you’re playing with. You’ve got 80,000 fans there every single week that you have to put a bit of effort in.
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Marcus Rashford was frozen out by Ruben Amorim at Manchester United before his loan move to Aston Villa last season
| PA“The amount of times I saw him walking because he wanted to leave — I thought his whole demeanour was a disgrace.
“I think he actually quit on Manchester United. And once you quit once, you’ll quit again.”
Scholes’ remarks have polarised fans, with some backing his tough-love stance and others arguing that Rashford’s issues were as much about United’s instability as the player’s attitude.
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The England international was one of United’s standout performers just three seasons ago, hitting 30 goals across all competitions in 2022–23 under Erik ten Hag.
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has praised Rashford’s impact since arriving in Spain, describing him as “a player who can change games."
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| PAThe German coach is expected to hand him another start when Barça travel to Real Oviedo on Thursday night in La Liga as they look to close the gap on leaders Real Madrid.
For Rashford, the loan represents a chance to rebuild confidence and remind the footballing world of his quality.
For Scholes, however, the question is whether Rashford will rediscover not just his form but the hunger and work rate that once made him United’s homegrown talisman.
Whether he can continue to flourish at Barcelona, after his impressive start, remains to be seen.