Marcus Rashford reveals what he did on days off after Man Utd ...

Marcus Rashford has admitted he used to play 'street football' with friends on his days off during his debut season at Manchester United.

Rashford joined the Red Devils at the age of seven and worked his way through the academy system before making his first-team debut against Danish club Midtjylland in February 2016. After Anthony Martial was injured in the warm up, Louis van Gaal called up Rashford to start the game and the forward impressed. He scored twice in a thumping 5-1 win as United qualified for the last 16 of the Europa League.

Three days later, Rashford made his Premier League debut against Arsenal. He again netted twice and provided the assist for the other goal in a 3-2 victory for United. In the process, Rashford became the club's third youngest-ever scorer in the competition - aged 18 years and 130 days - behind Federico Macheda and Danny Welbeck.

Rashford's rapid rise continued as he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Manchester City in March 2016, before leading the line during their FA Cup final success over Crystal Palace. He wrapped up the season with eight goals in 18 appearances and signed a new long-term contract as a reward for his performances.

However, it seems there was a secret to Rashford hitting the ground running in the United first-team. Speaking in an interview with The Players' Tribune, the England international revealed one of the reasons he made it at Old Trafford was due to the fact he played 'street football' with his close pals during his time off.

Rashford said: "You know what's crazy? I probably shouldn't even admit this, but I used to go back home during my first season with the United first team and play street football with my friends on my days off.

"That's my culture. It's still a part of me, and I think it’s one of the reasons I made it out. If you didn't live it with us, then I don’t expect you to understand."

Fast forward eight years and Rashford is one of United's most senior players at the club. He has played 391 matches, scoring 128 goals since his first-team debut. However, Rashford has recently faced criticism after missing out on the squad against Newport having reported ill for training following a night out in Dublin.

That came a matter of months after Rashford was spotted out at a nightclub following United's drab defeat against Manchester City - something Erik ten Hag branded as 'unacceptable'. Rashford has also been criticised for his body language and demeanour, with the striker cutting a frustrated figure in the United attack.

Ahead of the next Manchester derby, meanwhile, Rashford has hit back at criticism labelled at him. He said: "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. But if you ever question my commitment to Man United, that's when I have to speak up.

"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."

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