Gary Neville's responding over Rashford speaks volumes as '10-year' dig fired

Manchester United icon Gary Neville has reacted to comments made by Marcus Rashford, who criticised his boyhood club following his loan switch to Barcelona this summer

Gary Neville has urged Marcus Rashford to focus on Barcelona instead of offering his thoughts on Ruben Amorim's efforts at Manchester United now that he's left Old Trafford.

Rashford departed his childhood club to join the Spanish giants on loan for the 2025/26 campaign, but he still felt compelled to share his views on the reconstruction task facing Amorim at Old Trafford. The attacker delivered a scathing critique of United, arguing they cannot shelter behind the justification of being a club in transition.

"To start a transition you have to make a plan and stick to it," Rashford told Gary Lineker last week on The Rest is Football Podcast. "This is where I speak about being realistic about what your situation is. We've had that many different managers, ideas and strategies in order to win that you end up in no man's land."

His remarks became part of a discussion on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football as Neville addressed Amorim's circumstances.

"This season I think the manager to watch is the United manager," Neville said. "All eyes are on him. Can he do it? He had a horrible start to his United career. He didn't want the job part way through last season."

Presenter David Jones interjected and said: "Do you not think because of that he gets this season, whatever happens?"

"Oh no I don't think it'll be that easy," Neville added. "I think if he's down in the bottom half of the table he'll be under massive pressure."

Jones then asked: "What about what Marcus Rashford said the other day, that Manchester United have got to come up with a plan and stick with it somewhere, haven't they?"

Neville responded by waving his hand dismissively, and said: "Let's ignore that, because I don't want to go into Marcus Rashford comments tonight.

"He was there at the club for 10 years and had his opportunity to impact the club. Ruben Amorim, this year, I think will do a good job. Marcus should concentrate on Barcelona."

These comments are a damning reflection of Neville's opinion on Rashford's future at Old Trafford, as many believe the Manchester-born star will leave United for good soon enough.

Continuing the discussion of Amorim's United, Neville gave his first impressions of the newly-formed squad that lost to Arsenal on Sunday. He said: "Yesterday was the first time I watched that formation out on Old Trafford, where I thought, 'Right, we've got a chance here, that worked.'

"He'd brought in a few different players, he'd got [Mason] Mount back, introduced Luke Shaw at left centre-back, that helped and I think it was the first time, it's a difficult, rare system, it needs specialists, but when you saw [Matheus] Cunha play, saw Mount play, saw Shaw at left centre-back – there was a balance! Casemiro looked a better player all of a sudden! Just straight away he looked a better player."

Interrupting with a laugh, Jamie Carragher added: "It was one game!"

Despite the opening day defeat, a buoyed United will believe their first points of the new season won't be far away, and they continue their Premier League campaign on Sunday against Fulham at Craven Cottage.