Gary Lineker sends classy message to Marcus Rashford after Manchester United transfer bombshell

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Gary Lineker has passed on his best wishes to Marcus Rashford and hopes the forward ‘rallies’ to resurrect his Manchester United career.

Rashford has been a shadow of his former self over the last 18 months and the attacker revealed this week that he was ‘ready for a new challenge’ away from Old Trafford.

It’s been an extraordinary fall from grace for the 27-year-old, who enjoyed his best-ever campaign in front of goal just two seasons ago with the Red Devils.

Rashford has also been left by the wayside at international level, last featuring as a second-half substitute during England’s friendly with Brazil back in March.

Facing the media this morning, Ruben Amorim insisted he had not given up on Rashford, despite leaving the player out of his matchday squad for United’s thrilling comeback win over Manchester City on Sunday.

‘This kind of club needs big talent and he's a big talent,' Amorim told reporters ahead of United’s Carabao Cup quarter-final clash with Tottenham.

'He just needs to perform at the highest level. That is my focus. I just want to help Marcus.

‘What I want is to take the best of Marcus Rashford and the other players. I don't talk about the future. I talk about the present.

'I want to best of each of them. I just want to win and help the team to be better.

'We are better with Marcus Rashford, that's simple and we try our best to push Marcus Rashford to the level he is at before.'

Asked about the situation on Sky Sports News, Match of the Day host Lineker said that, above all else, he hoped Rashford was ‘okay’.

The ex-England striker wants to see Rashford back to his best at United but believes a separation may be ‘necessary’ to get the firing on all cylinders again.

‘I hope he’s okay, first and foremost. That’s important because we don’t all really understand the circumstances of footballers sometimes and it’s easy to have opinions,’ Lineker said.

‘But obviously his form has been troubled and he’s not been as special as he can be in the last 18 months or so.

‘Whether a parting of the ways is inevitable or not, I don’t know. I hope he rallies and performs well because he’s a big player and Manchester United is a huge football club.

‘Amorim has said he wants him to battle on and keep going so hopefully that will happen.

‘But there comes a time sometimes when a parting of the ways is necessary. I don’t know whether it’s reached that stage or not.’

Lineker added: ‘United have struggled for some time and sometimes we judge the players when things are not going well on the pitch. It makes it more difficult for people to shine.

‘They’ve gone through a particularly tough spell over the last couple of years, with the exception of winning the FA Cup.

‘It will be interesting to see if they’ve got a manager that can get them going and then the players’ confidence will bounce back.

‘We’ve seen it at Chelsea this season. It just shows you how important confidence is and a little bit of momentum. That might happen with the new manager, we’ll have to wait and see.’

Lineker’s Match of the Day colleague, Alan Shearer, meanwhile, urged United and Rashford to come together and work out the best resolution for all involved.

‘The manager comes out and has his say in the press conference and you have to realise that he’s got an asset to protect in terms of the football clubso they’ll be trying to get the best fee possible,’ Shearer said in response to Amorim’s comments on Rashford.

‘You can’t come out and say too much against him [Amorim] or what he’s said.

‘I guess they will come to an agreement and work out what is best for both parties.’

Shearer emphasised that United cannot afford to ‘carry any passengers’ and the club may have to move Rashford on when the January transfer window opens for business.

‘I would imagine that he’s got a lot of friends in the dressing room, some of them may understand. I know how dressing rooms work,’ the former Newcastle forward continued.

‘He obviously would have been very frustrated that he wasn’t in the team or the squad at the weekend.

‘But you’ve got to understand it from a manager’s point of view. He’s come to the team, he’s been hired to try and find a format and a successful way, so he’s got to look at different options.

‘He’s chosen to leave him out and they’ve won the game which ultimately is the best answer for the manager, so he can say to the players and the players can understand where he wants to go with that football club.

‘With the size of the club, he can’t afford to carry any passengers.’

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