Marcus Rashford Commits to England

Marcus Rashford has stated that he is “100% committed” to England, despite facing criticism for a trip to New York following his withdrawal from international duty in March due to an injury. The Manchester United forward missed Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine, but was defended by England manager Gareth Southgate. Rashford explained that he took a four-day trip for the purpose of recovery and that he cannot predict when injuries will occur. He is now preparing for England’s next two Euro 2024 qualifiers, against Malta in Valletta on Friday and North Macedonia at Old Trafford the following Monday. Rashford scored 30 goals across all competitions for United during the season just completed, and his last game was in the FA Cup final on 3 June, which United lost 2-1 to a Manchester City side who went on to complete the Treble. He congratulated City on their success, and remarked that the most consistent teams are going to win trophies. Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Kalvin Phillips, John Stones and Kyle Walker joined up with the England squad on Tuesday. Rashford commented that the current calendar is “mad”, and that players need more time to recover between certain games and at different stages of the season.