Marcus Rashford has quickly quashed rumours that he and his agent were eyeing up a new ‘£500k-a-week’ contract at Manchester United following a story by the Daily Star.
The Manchester Unitedstar, who is currently enjoying the best season of his career so far, was reported by sports writer Jeremy Cross to have been looking for a £500k-a-week as he approaches the final 12 months of his current contract and the club are keen to tie him down on a new long-term deal.
While negotiations are believed to have begun, there wasn’t just little evidence to support these claims: there was none — with the outlet simply suggesting that he wanted to be the highest-earner in the Premier League above the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Erling Haaland and teammate David de Gea.
All three referenced are said to be on weekly wages of between £375,000-£400,000, and Cross also referenced Cristiano Ronaldo’s massive wages after his return to the club, but as the in-form number 10 qualified shortly after on Twitter, his claims were all “complete nonsense”.
Just before this one starts to do the rounds! It's complete nonsense. The club and make self have been respectful to one another, and that's how it will remain. My focus is purely on finishing as well as possible in the league and winning trophies.
As you can see, the 25-year-old wasted no time in putting the paper talk to bed, insisting that he and the club “have been respectful to one another”.
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Rashford was reported to be on upwards of £200k a week in his current contract signed back in 2019 and set to expire in June 2023, but he was one of four players who had extensions triggered by manager Erik ten Hag shortly after he arrived at Old Trafford, alongside Diogo Dalot, Fred and Luke Shaw.
Following United news aggregator UtdPlug sharing the false report, the tweet was soon taken down, with the social media account apologising to Rashford directly and assuring, “it won’t happen again”.
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Thankfully, the Wythenshawe-born winger was as understanding as you’d expect, replying: “No problem at all!… I know you are not to blame”.
No problem at all! I was a little annoyed when I saw it, hence the reason for the typo* but I know you are not to blame. 🔴
The England star missed out on the Euro 2024 qualifying matches after withdrawing through injury and was also subject to criticism by some sections of the media for visiting New York shortly after the announcement.
However, Gareth Southgate quickly snuffed out that narrative too, insisting that “once he’s ruled out of the squad, it’s entirely up to him how he spends his time. The players don’t get a lot of breaks… If they get 48 hours with the schedule as it is, I think they have to take advantage of it.”
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On the other hand, many Reds have quipped that Rashford and United have simply echoed the days of Sir Alex Ferguson by recalling key players during the international break to avoid any risk of injury and get some added rest.
Either way, he is now back in training and, as he said in his tweet, simply focused on “the league and winning trophies.”
Manchester Storm’s ‘own and loan’ scheme returns for 2026/27
Danny Jones
Manchester Storm have relaunched their much-loved ‘own and loan’ programme once again ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Having gone from a cult favourite option for die-hards to an increasingly popular choice among their growing number of supporters, it’s a great way for fans to get their hands on what could go on to be priceless collectables.
Set up over a decade and a half ago, the initiative has gone on to be replicated by multiple clubs in the Elite Ice Hockey League, across the country, and indeed beyond.
For anyone unclear on what exactly this scheme means for them, here’s all you need to know.
The own and loan sponsorship is essentially an opportunity not only to support the club and your favourite player, but to essentially reserve a valuable piece of match-worn memorabilia.
Put simply, fans can buy a squad member’s jersey and then loan it back to them for the season.
The shirt – be it home, away, created for cup tournaments or a special limited-edition sweater (of which MCR Storm have designed many over the years) – will then be worn throughout the course of the campaign before being given back to the owner, i.e. you.
Not just simply buying the shirt, but helping back the team’s talent, it’s one of the most direct ways people can contribute to the club.
The Greater Manchester side pioneered the push for this initiative here in the UK in the early 2010s, and with the local side now set to return to the AO Arena, where their journey began way back in 1995, you can expect plenty to mark the comeback with a special sponsored jersey.
Anyone who purchases an away strip will have their name featured throughout home games for the duration of the season – not a bad gift or way to secure a potential future collectors’ item.
You can see every player available to sponsor and find out all the information you need right HERE.
For regular matchgoers at the ‘Storm Shelter’, we’re sure it’ll be bittersweet to say goodbye to Planet Ice Altrincham, but just how excited are you about heading home to the AO Arena later this year?
Featured Images — Manchester Storm (publicity picture)/The Manc Group
Sport
League One set for an all-Greater Manchester playoff final as Bolton book trip to Wembley
Danny Jones
It’s official: we’re all set for a fully Greater Manchester League One playoff final as Bolton Wanderers are the latest to secure a return to Wembley against Stockport County.
The resurgent old Lancashire club clinched their spot in the knockout conclusion of the third division with a single strike in the second leg of the semis, and it wasn’t a bad finish, either.
Beating Bradford City 2-0 on aggregate, Bolton will now play familiar regional rivals Stockport, with Wanderers set to clash with County in a decisive derby once again.
Bolton‘s instinctive volley from Chelsea youth product and former Hull City man, Xavier Simons, resulted in some very satisfying limbs at Valley Parade.
The home fans did have plenty to cheer on the night, with efforts from Metcalfe, Power and Wright all either hitting the woodwork or being deflected just past it.
They thought they were level in the tie at one point after Kayden Jackson put the ball in the back of the net, but it was ultimately ruled out.
Agonising stuff for the Bradford supporters to burst into bedlam before the flag was raised for offside.
Many supporters will argue that the key moment came somewhat against the run of play, but The Trotters won’t care one bit as they book another trip down to the capital.
You can watch the rest of the highlights, including those scenes in the away end, down below.
Speaking even before the game, head coach Steven Schumacher told Sky Sports: “It’s a club we believe is bigger than this division, but this division is not easy to get out of.
“The expectation and the demand to get to the Championship is there, and once you’re in the building and you feel the mood when you win games, when you lose games, you can sense that this is a club that is desperate to get out and get to the next level.
“When you look at the size of both Bolton and Bradford and how well they are supported, both clubs are probably too big to be in League One. But that’s where both clubs find themselves, and one of us has got to find our way out of it if we can.”
You’d dare say he can practically smell promotion via the playoffs now; the local side has come quite a way since the lows of administration in 2019 and the bottom tier of the EFL – not without some heartbreaks in previous playoff finals – but could he be the one to get them back where they belong?
In case you missed the action from the other game, you can see more HERE, and to hear Schumacher’s thoughts after the decisive result, look no further…
Danny Jones -
30th March 2023 
