Marcus Rashford says people questioning his commitment to Manchester United need to show “more humanity”.
Rashford, 26, has scored five goals for United this season and faced criticism about perceived attitude issues.
He missed United’s FA Cup win over Newport, days after he was reportedly seen in nightspots in Northern Ireland.
“If you ever question my commitment to United, that’s when I have to speak up,” the England forward said in a piece for The Players’ Tribune.
“It’s like somebody questioning my entire identity, and everything I stand for as a man.
“I grew up here. I have played for this club since I was a boy. My family turned down life-changing money when I was a kid so I could wear this badge.”
Manchester-born Rashford came through the United youth ranks before making his first-team debut as an 18-year-old in 2016.
He has gone on to make 391 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 128 goals.
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Rashford finished last season with a career-best tally of 30 goals, but he has been unable to make the same impact this time around as United have struggled to build on their first campaign under manager Erik ten Hag.
They sit sixth in the Premier League after 26 games.
“I can take any criticism. I can take any headline. From podcasts, social media and the papers. I can take it,” Rashford added.
“But if you start questioning my commitment to this club and my love for football and bringing my family into it, then I’d simply ask you to have a bit more humanity.”
Rashford has faced questions about his work-rate on the pitch and criticism about his off-field conduct.
In January, there were reports he had been seen in Belfast nightspots before missing training at United a day later through illness and then the Newport game.
He was dropped from the starting line-up for a Carabao Cup tie against Newcastle in November because Ten Hag was unhappy at him being seen out celebrating his birthday just hours after a 3-0 defeat by rivals Manchester City.
United face City again this weekend.
Another disciplinary measure saw Rashford put on the substitutes’ bench for United’s Premier League game at Wolves last season after oversleeping and being late for a team meeting.
Rashford believes there is a “tone which other footballers don’t get” in media coverage about him, putting that partly down to his high-profile child food poverty campaign which prompted a government U-turn in 2020.
“It seems like they’ve been waiting for me to have a human moment so they can point the finger and say, ‘See? See who he really is?'” Rashford wrote.
“Listen, I’m not a perfect person. When I make a mistake, I’ll be the first one to put my hand up and say that I need to do better.”
Sources: BBC Sport
