Marcus Rashford says ‘no one can touch’ special gift from former Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo

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Marcus Rashford insists the gift he received from former Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo is off limits.

Rashford and Ronaldo played alongside each other at Old Trafford for more than a year between 2021 and 2022, before the latter left the club amid a breakdown in his relationship with manager Erik ten Hag.

Despite Ronaldo’s departure, there’s still a lot of respect between him and Rashford, with Rashford admitting the Portuguese star has always been one of his idols.

Back in 2018, ahead of his second return to United, Ronaldo gifted Rashford a pair of Nike Air Max 97 CR7 Red sneakers worth £145, with the United striker posting on Instagram “Thanks @cristiano for the gift “.

Five years later, he revealed that he had never worn the sneakers and refused to let anyone near them for fear they would be destroyed.

“No one can touch them!” Rashford told host Joe La Puma during an appearance on TV show Sneaker Shopping.

“He (Ronaldo) was one of my favorite players growing up. I love these shoes and I would love to wear them, but if I messed them up, I don’t know what I would do to myself.

“So, I’d better keep those people away from me.”

Rashford’s refusal to wear trainers highlights how sacred they are to him. Over the years, he has amassed an eye-catching selection of shoes and has become a fashion trendsetter.

The 26-year-old attended Paris Fashion Week earlier this year with England team-mate Jude Bellingham and has previously appeared on the cover of Vogue.

But now his focus is on football and trying to get back to his best after a difficult start to the season for United, which saw him score just once.

He is due to join the England squad for their Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia later this week, although it has been confirmed that his arrival has been delayed due to personal matters.

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