Rio Ferdinand is worried that there are problems behind the scenes for Marcus Rashford amid his flailing form.
The Manchester United star has found himself on the outskirts of the first-team in recent weeks and it does not appear that Ralf Rangnick trusts him going forward. It has been a miserable campaign for the forward, as it has for many at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils are seventh in the Premier League and are battling for a spot in the top four. But with the likes of Tottenham and Arsenal showing that they can compete for that position, time might be running out for United.
Last week, it was telling that Rangnick went without a recognised striker against Leicester and left Rashford on the bench, despite the Englishman being fresh after not being called up for international duty. The German coach eventually threw him on but the match ended 1-1 in another disappointing day for the club.
That benching has represented a real slump in form and United legend Ferdinand, who knows the player well, has admitted he is getting worried for his wellbeing. He said on BT Sport before Saturday's game against Everton : "He’s left me worried and I’m asking a lot of questions about what is going on behind the scenes. Slumped shoulders, not as confident.
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"When he burst onto the scene you thought ‘oh my god this kid is a player’. I think it stems from the uncertainty of the football club. He’s a local boy, who is desperate for this football club to do well.
"He grew up on success, it’s all he saw. It’s deception as a football player that you hide what you’re really feeling. I don’t think he can hide it through his body language.
"He wants some success back at the club. The uncertainty with the manager and his contract. When he’s played he’s been out of position and not played as much as he wants under this manager.
"All those things mean you can understand why he’s like that, but as a player with experience, sometimes you need to put on a show for people that might not reflect how you feel at that time."
It has been a year to forget for Rashford, who has scored just four Premier League goals this season. Last year, the 24-year-old had netted 11 and the season before that it was 17.
With a new manager coming in, the forward's future remains very much up in the air and there has been talk that a transfer away could be the best solution. However, Ferdinand believes Rashford's political impact has led to more scrutiny over his playing career.
The former defender added: "His talent is there, but it’s about getting back to the levels we know he can reach and moving above those. What comes with great work and the amount of spotlight he’s been under, is more pressure.
"It’s a bigger spotlight, the responsibility then falls on your shoulders and for a young lad, it’s hard to accept that responsibility. Did he anticipate that? Probably not, because things were going so well at the time.
"Like it or not, that’s what comes with this type of situation. When you stand for good and make people in higher positions that yourself look silly by making change and impact on people, you get held to a different level. He’ll have to deal with that for the rest of his career."
