'This guy could phone the Prime Minister up!' - Marcus Rashford warned not to waste his career as Man Utd exit saga drags into final days of transfer window

With Rashford’s exile from the team stretching beyond six weeks due to ongoing tensions with head coach Ruben Amorim, speculation about his next move continues to grow. The Portuguese manager did not include him in the latest Europa League travelling squad to Romania and now Shearer has urged the forward to seek a resolution before it is too late.

In an interview with Betfair,Shearer said: "I think Reuben Amorim has been pretty clear and what he has said is perhaps what other managers before him couldn't say or didn't want to say about Marcus Rashford.

"He's been brutally open and brutally honest: 'this is the situation, this is what I've inherited, and I'm not accepting it. You either jump into my boat and row with me or you're not getting it at all' and I think that's a great attitude to have from the manager. It's the only way to go. I like Amorim's openness, and I like his honesty, and I probably think previous managers are looking at that situation he's got with Marcus and thinking, 'yeah, that's what we had also, but you're now telling everyone how it is."

Rashford's hefty £300,000-a-week wages, secured under a long-term contract signed in 2023, is another obstacle complicating any transfer.

"It's a tricky situation because of the wages that Rashford will be on," Shearer said. "You've got to understand the situation and the magnitude of what you're taking on and who you're taking on. Three years ago, this guy could phone the Prime Minister up and sit in front of them, yet now he can't even get anywhere near the first team at Man United.

"I hope he gets it right, and I hope he realises what he's doing. The opportunities are passing him by. He's at one of the biggest clubs in the world and I hope that he and his people are looking at things and thinking 'are we doing the right thing?"

Despite his ongoing troubles at United, Rashford continues to attract interest from top European clubs. Barcelona, AC Milan, and Borussia Dortmund have all been linked with a possible move for the England international. Reports suggest that if a loan move to Barcelona is agreed upon, Rashford would be willing to accept a pay cut due to the Spanish club’s financial struggles.

As time runs out in the January window, Rashford’s situation at Manchester United grows increasingly precarious. If a transfer fails to materialize, he faces the prospect of remaining sidelined under Amorim, potentially wasting the next few months until the next summer transfer window.