MARCUS RASHFORD claims he’s been suffering in an “inconsistent environment for a very long time” in an apparent dig at Manchester United.
The England winger, 27, has sparked back into life after joining Barcelona on a season-long loan from boyhood club United this summer.
The Sun revealed that Barca are “ecstatic” with Rashford’s form and have been left particularly impressed with his work ethic.
After being iced out by United boss Ruben Amorim in the summer, Rashford is back with Thomas Tuchel’s England squad preparing for the World Cup qualifier in Latvia on Tuesday night.
The United loanee has more goal involvements than any other Barcelona player across all competitions this season, with his three goals and five assists.
After being quizzed on Tuchel’s recent call for consistency, Rashford told ITV in a video that was posted on X before being deleted: “I feel like I’ve been in an inconsistent environment for a very, very long time.
“So it’s even more difficult to be consistent. I think consistency is what I need to bring into my game and I’m looking to do that.
“Obviously, I want to be at my best, not sometimes, but as often as possible.
“When people talk about consistency, in order to be consistent in anything, not just sports, you need consistent variables like in your life.
“And in the way you train, and we’ve just had so many changes so far in my career.
“But, like I said, I have to look forward, and that’s definitely one of the things that I’d want to put right and improve on, to be at my best more often.
“Because when I’m at my best, I really enjoy everything about the sport, so, yeah, being there is a special thing for me.”
Rashford, who joined United at the age of seven, has his heart set on signing a permanent deal for around £25m at Barcelona before the 2026 World Cup in the Americas.
The Old Trafford academy graduate previously described United as “reactionary” and being in “no man’s land” in a bombshell interview with Gary Lineker and Micah Richards.
Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast in August, Rashford said: “If your direction’s always changing, you can’t expect to be able to win the league.
“We’ve been way below where we deem United to be. But then if you take a step back, which I’ve been able to do, especially over the last six months – what do you expect?
“To start a transition, you have to make a plan and stick to it. So this is the thing that I feel – it’s not easy.
“But this is where I speak about being realistic with what your situation is.
“I feel like we’ve had that many different managers and different ideas and different strategies in order to win … you end up in the middle of – you end up in no man’s land.”
Rashford’s move to Spain has put him back in contention for the World Cup after missing out on Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad.
The winger was called back to Tuchel’s first Three Lions group back in March – but missed the June camp due to injury.
Beyond the numbers, Rashford is winning the support of the normally harsh Catalan faithful.
Injuries to Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski have opened the door for Rashford’s resurgence, giving him an extended run in Hansi Flick’s starting XI.
He has started in six of the past seven matches across all competitions.
The only time he didn’t start, against Getafe, was because he arrived late to the team’s morning meeting, although he did play the entire second half.
Rashford’s standout Champions League performance against Newcastle drew particular praise from Flick.
Rashford’s most successful season occurred under former United boss Erik ten Hag, scoring 30 goals across all competitions.
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