How Erik Ten Hag Punished Marcus Rashford After His 12-Hour Tequila Drinking Spree

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag reportedly made forward Marcus Rashford train alone at Carrington on Sunday after the English star's drinking bender in Belfast.

Ten Hag also rejected Rashford's plea to play in Manchester United's FA Cup game against Newport County, reported The Times.

Initially, Manchester United said Rashford was absent from their travelling squad because of an "illness". Before the game, Ten Hag revealed Rashford's omission was due to an "internal issue".

Rashford was seen partying in Northern Ireland on Wednesday and Thursday, which subsequently saw him fall ill and miss out on team training on Friday.

Rashford slapped with fine and punishment

It has also been reported that Manchester United have slapped Rashford with a hefty fine, worth £650,000.

Rashford was willing to travel with the Red Devils to Wales on Sunday morning ahead of their evening kick-off against Newport County. However, Ten Hag ordered the England international to train at Carrington instead on the same day.

Manchester United legends Wayne Rooney, David Beckham and Rio Ferdinand have all reached out to Rashford to offer advice to the young player post the party scandal, as per The Sun.

Meanwhile, Rashford is also believed to have angered some of his Manchester United teammates over his lack of discipline, according to reports in the local media. The Red Devils are "angry" with Rashford's behaviour. They have expressed their displeasure about Rashford doing such a thing, especially before an FA Cup match given it is the only trophy the side can realistically win this season.

While Manchester United overcame the League Two club 4-2, Ten Hag faced a series of tough questions about the situation. But the Dutch boss refused to confirm if Rashford had lied to him about his nightclub visit in Belfast.

Ten Hag tight-lipped about Rashford's latest issue

Ten Hag remained tight-lipped about the situation as the Dutchman just said: "It's an internal matter and I will deal with it."‌

When a reporter asked Ten Hag if Rashford had lied, the head coach replied: "Maybe more questions about the game. I've talked before about it. I think we played a good game and now we move on. We will deal with it, I will deal with it."

Manchester United have since confirmed in a statement that Rashford "has taken responsibility for his actions" and that the internal disciplinary matter is "now closed".

It was earlier reported that Rashford went on a 12-hour drinking spree in Belfast as he allegedly took several shots of tequila and had a lot of cocktails. He "was on a mission to get drunk", sunk multiple shots of tequila, and collapsed into bed, while fully clothed, around 3 AM, according to allegations made by a waitress.

Waitress Sarah Adair claimed she had to put the Manchester United forward to bed, and said: "I'm not surprised he missed training the next day given how late he got to bed and how much he'd had to drink."

"He must've known he wasn't going to be in any fit state to play football. They (Rashford and his entourage) were still drinking tequila and passing around a bottle of Patron and he also ordered a round of limoncello. He was clearly on a mission to get drunk," the waitress added.

This was not Rashford's first breach this season. Ten Hag had slammed the player's "unacceptable" behaviour after going out clubbing following his team's defeat against Manchester City last October. Moreover, Ten Hag dropped Rashford for a game last season after the player had reported to a team meeting late.

Manchester United are next in action on Thursday as they travel to West Midlands to take on Wolves at Molineux Stadium in the Premier League. The Old Trafford side has just one win in the last five games in the Premier League and are currently placed eighth in the table. They have 32 points from 21 games, 16 points behind leaders Liverpool FC.