Marcus Rashford says 'emotion got the better’ of him after video of fans confronting him goes viral

Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford has said he is “upset” and “disappointed” after a video surfaced of him appearing to argue with fans following his team’s loss to Atlético Madrid on Tuesday.

Leaving the venue after the 1-0 defeat in the Champions League match, hecklers could be heard shouting “after that performance, come on, guys” and “come on, Rashford”, before the forward was seen walking towards them and calling them over with his finger.

In a statement posted to Twitter on Wednesday evening, the sportsman – who also plays for England’s national team – said “there are two sides to every story”.

He wrote: “A video can paint a thousand words and in this case led 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.”

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Rashford went on to add that he had been “heckled from the minute I stepped foot outside the ground” and the abuse he received was “not just aimed at my football”.

He continued: “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’re 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 [was] ‘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’

“I did not gesture with my middle finger. I am not entitled. This isn’t ego.

“I’m upset. I’m disappointed. And in that moment it was silly, but I was being human.”

Rashford has since received support from followers online, with one saying “you’re not in the wrong at all, fella”.

Another wrote: “You don’t need to apologise or make another statement tweet. Make your statements on the pitch and silence the hate.”

“We get it Rashy, fans think they’re entitled to any length of abuse giving,” replied a third.

Manchester United also threw its support behind the player, with the official account quote tweeting the message with a red heart emoji.

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