Micah Richards criticises Marcus Rashford in front of him – 'You can be more selfish'

Marcus Rashford has responded to criticism from Micah Richards after the former Manchester City defender gave his compatriot some advice ahead of his official Barcelona debut

Micah Richards advised Marcus Rashford to be more selfish in front of goal(Image: Spotify/The Rest Is Football)

Marcus Rashford needs to become more greedy in front of goal if he's to thrive at Barcelona.

That's the view of Micah Richards, who delivered the frank assessment directly to the Manchester United exile while highlighting a potential hole in his game. Rashford, 27, has linked up with the reigning kings of La Liga for the season following a loan spell at Aston Villa during the latter half of last season.

The forward has already made his mark under Hansi Flick, finding the net and providing an assist across Barca's last two pre-season outings. Previously regarded as Old Trafford's brightest prospect, Rashford found he was deemed surplus to requirements after his goalscoring touch dimmed in Manchester.

And Richards identified what he considers a glaring weakness in the player's approach during an interview on The Rest Is Football podcast (via The Mirror). "One criticism from me in your game is I feel like you can be more selfish," said the ex-Manchester City defender.

"Because you're getting into great areas, then you always want to pass! All the other players [at the] top of world football are shooting."

Rashford seemed receptive to the feedback but countered by indicating his focus extends beyond simply finding the back of the net. The 62-cap England attacker netted a career-best 30 goals during the 2022/23 season under Erik ten Hag before his form in front of goal suffered a serious downturn.

Rashford is targeting a fresh start at Barcelona(Image: Getty Images)

"Don't get me wrong, I love scoring goals and stuff, but this is why I can't consistently be a No. 9," Rashford replied. "Because it's not natural for me to do that, so if I am doing that, I feel like I'm forcing it. And I know that I'm missing other pictures of the game.

"Like, if I was just playing freely, I'd be seeing these pictures, so there [are] a lot of times when I don't shoot because I feel like the chance of it being blocked and missing a chance for the team, rather than just for me, is pretty high. But also the striker in me is like, 'If I can get it through his legs here [laughs], there's a high chance of it going in!'"

These remarks could spark concern amongst certain United supporters, particularly those who recognise the goalscoring ability within the player. Rashford progressed through the club's youth system operating as a striker and emerged onto the first-team stage in 2016 with a reputation for his composed finishing.

The Englishman has already scored his first goal for Barca in pre-season(Image: Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

The player demonstrated his team-first mentality when deployed out wide to accommodate others playing through the middle. His style has evolved over the years as a result, with his ability to operate as a traditional central striker often coming under question.

His natural instinct was evident when he netted his maiden Barcelona goal during a recent friendly against South Korean side Daegu though. The forward completed the 5-0 thrashing by unleashing a fierce effort past the goalkeeper from inside the area after a pass back from former City defender Eric Garcia.

He then secured his first assist for Barca in the Joan Gamper Trophy, contributing to another commanding 5-0 victory over Italian side Como. However, the match also saw Rashford left red-faced after failing to score an open goal at the back post.