Marcus Rashford responded to criticism of his decision to leave England’s March international commitment.
The Manchester United forward received harsh criticism for choosing to visit the US after declining to represent England in March. Following his trip to New York while hurt, Gareth Southgate was quick to defend the attacker, saying: “Once he is ruled out of the squad, it’s entirely up to him how he spends his time.”
Rashford defended the journey himself at a press conference before this week’s games against Malta and North Macedonia, insisting that he is “100% committed” to the Three Lions.
“I need time to switch off and recover. I took a short trip, four days, then went back to do rehab and just try and get ready as soon as possible,” Rashford said.
“With injuries, you can’t predict when they’re going to happen. Occasionally you do get impact injuries. I know that I’m committed to it [England] 100%. People are going to say what they’re going to say. It doesn’t really bother me.”
Rashford was one of England’s best players at the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, scoring three goals and helping the Three Lions reach the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champions France.
The attacker maintained that form for the remainder of the 2022–23 club season, scoring 30 goals for Man Utd in total.