'Don’t make the same mistakes as me' - Man Utd forward Marcus Rashford warned by England icon

Paul Gascoigne has warned Marcus Rashford not to repeat his own past 'mistakes' in a heartfelt message for the Manchester United forward.

Rashford has been in the headlines all week after calling in sick to training last Friday, following a late night out in Belfast with footballer friend Ro-Shaun Williams. ManchesterWorld understands United were misled regarding the forward's whereabouts and he was dropped for the FA Cup win over Newport County last weekend.

It is the second time this season Rashford has come in for criticism following a night out, the forward having been spotted at a city centre nightclub in Manchester shortly after United were beaten 3-0 at home to Manchester City in October. Gascoigne has been commendably open about his struggles with the pressure of playing and the former Newcastle, Tottenham and Lazio man sent a message to Rashford.

“I really like Marcus Rashford. He is my favourite England player. But you can tell things are just not right for him right now," Gascoigne told The Mirror. “I would say to him, ‘Don’t make the same mistakes as me.’ He may need the help of the players around him, the staff to bring him around.

"Sometimes there are ­problems outside the game. He is a great player, at a great club, playing for his country, and yet he doesn’t seem happy. Obviously there is an issue with the manager and he doesn’t even celebrate his goals in the same way. He is down, he is getting fined, like I was at Lazio, it is not easy being in the limelight.

“When I was at Spurs, I found it so hard that I went to see a counsellor once a week, to talk my problems through. As a man, it is sometimes hard to ask for help. Even footballers need it sometimes. Marcus is earning a fortune, at one of the biggest clubs in the world, everyone thinks you do not have a care in the world. But the ­pressure is not always easy.”

Manager Erik ten Hag insisted the 'internal matter' with Rashford had been dealt with and the forward returned with an impressive impact at Wolves on Thursday. The 26-year-old curled home a wonderful effort to open the scoring in a dramatic 4-3 win at Molineux. Despite enduring a torrid start to the campaign, Rashford now has three goals in his last four and is continuing to develop a strong relationship with £72million summer signing Rasmus Hojlund.