Marcus Rashford Manchester United forward, has revealed what he told an angry Red Devils fan who confronted him after his side’s Champions League second-leg 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night at Old Trafford.
Rashford said he told the supporter who heckled him: ‘Come over here and say it to my face,’ after Atletico Madrid eliminated Man United from the Champions League.
Recall that Renan Lodi’s header ensured Atletico Madrid qualified for the Champions League last-8 ahead of Man United.
Video footage shows Rashford reacting to one fan and turning to face the crowd before being ushered back towards the team bus by security.
Explaining the incident, the England international admitted ‘emotion got the better’ of him.
Rashford wrote on Twitter “A video can paint a thousand words and in this case lead to inaccurate info being shared on social media.
“Guys for weeks I’ve been heckled, threatened, questioned and last night my emotion got the better of me. I’m a human being. Reading and hearing that stuff about yourself every day it wears you down.
“No one is more critical of my performance than me. But what you see in this video lacks context. I had been heckled from the minute I stepped from outside the ground, abuse not just aimed at my football.
“People were looking for a reaction from me. Phones were at the ready. Of course I should have walked straight past and ignored it, that’s what we are supposed to do right?’
“I want to clarify two things. The first being what I actually said to the man throwing abuse at me which ‘come over here and say it to my face’ (a fact security can back up) and secondly, the fact I used my forefinger to direct the fan to ‘come over and say it to my face’.
“I did not gesture with my middle finger. I am not entitled. This isn’t my ego. I’m upset. I’m disappointed. And at that moment it was silly but I was being human.”
