MARCUS RASHFORD has broken his silence following his shock omission from England’s Euro 2024 squad.
SunSport learned that the Manchester United (opens in a new tab)” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Manchester United hitman would not be part of the 33-man provisional squad hours before the official announcement.
And 20 minutes after The FA made his omission public, the 26-year-old issued a statement.
But the striker didn’t throw his toys out the pram, opting instead to send his team-mates and international gaffer a message of support.
He took to his Instagram story to write: “Wishing Gareth and the boys all the best for the up and coming tournament.”
Rashford has been a staple of England squads since Southgate succeeded Roy Hodgson as manager in November 2016.
READ MORE ON EURO 2024
The United forward has featured in all three of the tournaments that have taken place during Southgate’s reign.
But his poor form last season has ultimately stopped him from playing in a fourth-straight major international competition.
The decision to axe Rashford wasn’t easy for Southgate, who said: “These are of course difficult calls.
“You are talking about players that are very important players.
Most read in Football
BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS
“With Marcus, in that area of the pitch, I feel that other players have had better seasons, it’s as simple as that.
Rashford has made a total of 60 appearances for his country since making his debut in 2017.
He’s found the back of the net 17 times, with three of those goals coming at the 2022 World Cup.
Rashford isn’t the only big-name player to have been omitted from the squad.
Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell and Reece James will all have the summer off as they’ve not been called up for the tournament.
Southgate added: “The 33 isn’t quite a fair definition because we’re taking a longer squad with some younger players to look at.
“Hendo has given himself every chance. From the last camp, he missed five weeks through injury and he hasn’t been able to get to that tempo since then.
“It’s a big call to make, the three players from last time, he, Ben [White] and Marcus [Rashford] all had excellent professionalism.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
“[Jordan Henderson] will be a miss. He’s an exceptional individual and fantastic human being.
“He’s been in that leadership role for a long time.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
