“It’s hard to sit and watch” - Marcus Rashford’s brother shares frustration; claims Manchester United star could make ‘difference’ at Euro 2024

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford’s brother and agent Dwaine Maynard has shared his frustration after England’s 1-1 draw against Denmark in their Euro 2024 game on Thursday, June 20. Marcus Rashford was among the notable absentees from Gareth Southgate’s final 26-man squad for the tournament in Germany, a decision that raised eyebrows and left fans and pundits perplexed.

Southgate’s tactics and lineups in the Three Lions’ two games so far have also raised plenty of question marks. England scraped to a 1-0 win in their tournament-opener against Serbia before being held to a stalemate by Denmark, with their lackluster performance in both games coming under scrutiny.

Following England’s draw with Denmark, Maynard shared his frustrations with Southgate’s decision to leave out his brother from the final squad.

“It's hard to sit and watch when you honestly believe your man could make a difference,” he wrote in an Instagram story.

Manchester City’s Jack Grealish was another notable omission from the squad, with Southgate being criticized for the lack of options on the left flank. Phil Foden has been deployed in that position in both games so far, but has failed to emulate his Premier League Player of the Season-winning form.

The England boss defended his selection by saying that the players he has selected have had “stronger seasons.”

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How has Marcus Rashford fared for England at major tournaments prior to Euro 2024?

England forward Marcus Rashford

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has played at every major tournament since his England debut in May, 2016. He featured for just 21 minutes over two appearances at Euro 2016, in which the Three Lions were knocked out following a 2-1 loss to Iceland in the round of 16.

He had a much bigger role at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where he appeared in all but one of England’s seven games. However, Rashford was unable to register a goal contribution over his six appearances, with England settling for fourth place following a 2-0 loss to Belgium in the third-place playoff.

Marcus Rashford made five appearances at the rescheduled Euro 2020, but once again went without recording a goal or an assist. He also missed his penalty in the shootout in the final against Italy at Wembley, and was subjected to racial abuse on social media following England’s loss.

The Manchester United forward was England’s joint top-scorer, alongside Bukayo Saka, at the 2022 World Cup, scoring three goals, all in the group stage. His first came in a 6-2 win against Iran, with the other two coming in a 3-0 win against Wales.