Maguire backs Rashford return to Man United despite Scholes' 'banish him' call

Harry Maguire has broken ranks to back Marcus Rashford’s return to Manchester United, telling a podcast the dressing room would welcome the forward back after his loan spell at Barcelona — a stance that puts him at odds with club legend Paul Scholes.

Rashford, 28, is expected to report back to Old Trafford this summer after spending the second half of last season in Spain, where he contributed 14 goals and 14 assists across all competitions and helped Barcelona win La Liga. Despite that form, Barcelona opted against signing him permanently, instead spending £70 million on Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon.

Maguire, speaking on The Rest Is Football, said he retains a strong personal bond with Rashford and believes the club should give him a fresh start under new permanent head coach Michael Carrick. “Yeah, of course, I have an amazing relationship with Marcus and have had some great times with him over the years. I know what a wonderful player he can be,” Maguire said. “Of course, if Marcus does come back, we want him to come back and play and be happy and confident. It needs to be right for himself, it needs to be right for the club, but everyone knows what a great player Marcus can be.”

The defender’s comments stand in direct contrast to those of Paul Scholes, who previously called for Rashford to be removed from the squad entirely. “I think Marcus has let a lot of people down really, with his attitude,” Scholes said on The Overlap Fan Debate. “The fact of letting your team-mates down in that dressing room — he should be banished from the dressing room really. If he’s in and around that and young people are seeing that as an example, the sooner he’s gone the better.”

Rashford’s relationship with United unravelled under former head coach Ruben Amorim, who froze the academy graduate out after he publicly declared he was “ready for a new challenge” away from his boyhood club in December 2024 — comments that reportedly angered several teammates, coming just days after United had beaten Manchester City in a high-profile derby.

With Barcelona now out of the picture, Rashford’s future rests on whether he and United can reach a mutual agreement under Carrick’s new regime. Maguire’s public endorsement suggests the dressing room door, at least, remains open.