Marcus Rashford handed brutal Manchester United verdict as 'baby' claim made

Troy Deeney believes Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has been the biggest flop of 2024.

Since breaking onto the scene at Old Trafford, Rashford has gone on to become one of the greatest names in English football. However, he has struggled to maintain consistent form after scoring 30 goals and providing nine assists in the 2022/23 season.

Last weekend, United boss Ruben Amorim left Rashford out of his squad for the Manchester Derby. Two days later, Rashford claimed he was ready for a new challenge away from United in an interview with journalist Henry Winter.

Amid uncertainty over his long-term future, former Watford striker Deeney, gave his honest assessment of Rashford on talkSPORT. He said: "Who’s been a flop for me… It sounds like I’m piling on and I don’t mean to, but you probably have to say Marcus. Marcus has probably been the biggest disappointment this year. 'Flop’ is a hard word but I mean disappointment in terms of expectation and what we think he can deliver.

"We probably have to say Marcus over the course of January until now. What I’m on about with ‘baby’ is the attitude, he didn’t start against Arsenal, so he thinks he should start. So to prove to people that you should start, he’s just going to walk around, how does that logic work?

"That’s what a baby does, that’s what my kids do when they don’t get what they want, they sulk and scream and cry. And he decided he was going to walk around and try and hit 70-yard diags [diagonal passes] off the pitch but that’s the manager’s fault I suppose? I just think he’s highly talented, had all of the opportunity in the world and at some point it’s got to be his fault, and not somebody else’s, that’s what I think."