Marcus Rashford's mother has opened up on her son's recent struggles as she revealed the deaths of two people close to him 'set him back a lot', while warning the star of 'people's intentions around him'.
In a first-person piece published on Monday, Melanie Maynard said her son struggled to come to terms with the loss of his cousin Nathan last year, which followed the death of a 'very good family friend', Garf, in 2022.
Rashford has faced criticism for his performances for Manchester United this season and was slammed for going on a 12-hour tequila bender in Belfast in January.
But Ms Maynard has defended the star, insisting the heartache he has suffered has contributed to his issues both on and off the field.
'The Queen awarded him an MBE for his work,' she wrote in The Times.
'After all of this, Marcus worked hard to achieve a new contract at his boyhood club. 'He loves United. Marcus produced an unbelievable performance last season, scoring 30 goals and 11 assists, to warrant a new contract.
'After that, Marcus lost a second very important person in his life: his cousin Nathan in November, after a very good family friend, Garf, had died a year earlier, which set him back a lot. It was a lot for someone so young to deal with.'
Rashford's infamous night out in Belfast led to him missing training and United'sFA Cup tie at Newport. He was fined two weeks' wages by the club - worth £625,000 - and his position as a senior member of the dressing room suffered as a result.
And Ms Maynard warned her son of the dangers of 'people's intentions around you' following his antics in Belfast, when he was said to have been downing shots and cocktails before passing out fully-clothed at 3am.
'Marcus is human, so he will have ups and downs in his life like everyone else,' she added.
'Marcus is in a very good place, he will never let anyone down. But you always need to be wary of people’s intentions around you — sometimes people around you can be wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing.'
Rashford dedicated his goal for United in the 3-0 win at Everton in November to his cousin. The England international was seen with his arms aloft and looking to the sky when celebrating the strike, which came from the penalty spot.
'I would like to dedicate the goal yesterday to my cousin who recently passed away. GBNF,' he wrote.