“Maybe it is time” – Nicky Butt urges Man United star to quit Red Devils to save career

Nicky Butt has recommended Marcus Rashford leave Manchester United in order to save his career.

The former midfielder worked as a coach for United’s reserve team in 2012 before being appointed head of their academy in 2016.

And surprisingly, despite his previous affiliation with the club, the 49-year-old has urged Rashford, 26, to pursue a transfer elsewhere.

The winger has endured a torrid couple of seasons at Old Trafford. Failing to replicate his best campaign in 2022-23 which saw him net a career-high 30 goals, the 26-year-old has seen his stock decline despite renewing his deal just 12 months ago.

Nicky Butt tells Marcus Rashford to leave Manchester United

And although Rashford has spent his entire career with the Red Devils, Butt believes now could be the right time for the Manchester-born academy graduate to call it quits and move on.

“I don’t know and it’s actually sad watching that because I’ve known Marcus since he was probably eight and nine at Man United coming through and he’s always been the one that you hold hope for,” he told talkSPORT.

“I do believe and people will be screaming down the phone now probably but I do believe he’s still got the talent to be one of the best top players in the world.

“He’s just not clicking for the last few years at Man United, you’re always saying he’s just going to do it, he’s going to do it but it’s looking like maybe it’s time for a change for him.

“No one really knows what his mentality is, but there’s a lot of talent within that man and he’s a top, top footballer.

“But it’s just not happening for Man United now, people always point to the fact of his body language, he doesn’t care, I can tell you now he does care, he’s a proper lad but he’s just not clicking for him.”

He added: “Maybe it is time to go and find a club where he can get a bit of a deep breath, the eyes aren’t on him all the time.

“He’s the excuse for all the fans, all the fans look at him and it’s not just him, the whole team, the whole squad needs to up the game.”

Rashford was a target for Spurs two years ago but the door to join Ange Postecoglou’s new-look Lilywhites seems to be one that has since closed.

Arsenal have also been linked with the United winger in the past but with Mikel Arteta recently reaffirming Leandro Trossard’s importance after rejecting a £30 million offer from Saudi side Al Ittihad for the Belgian it seems unlikely Rashford will become a target for the Gunners again.

So that begs the question of which club the 26-year-old could join if he were to leave United, either in January, or at the end of the season.