1 week Ago By Dale O'Donnell
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery insists Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford is enjoying his football again.Marcus Rashford joined Aston Villa on loan in January after falling out of favour under Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim.The 27-year-old is slowly finding his feet again at Villa Park, after scoring three goals on top of four assists in all competitions.
He will remain at Villa for the remainder of the 2024/25 Premier League season and the club have an option to buy him for £40m from United.Rashford was also called up to the England squad for the March international break. Thomas Tuchel started the United loanee in both matches, even though he failed to have an impact in the wins over Albania and Latvia.
In the process, Rashford’s improved form could ensure that Amorim gets the summer boost he didn’t expect, should an appropriate offer come in for his signature.Villa negotiated a buy option worth £40 million when they sealed the loan deal, which looks like a steal based on his current form. No decision has been made and Rashford has until the end of the season to prove himself.
Photo by Morgan Harlow/Getty ImagesMarcus Rashford rediscovers his love for footballThe decision to send Rashford on loan was the right one for all parties involved.Amorim’s relationship with the player was fractured and his market value would have suffered more hits if he spent the rest of the season on the bench.Aston Villa manager Unai Emery believes Rashford has rediscovered his love for football and the best is yet to come from him.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Villa’s Champions League quarter-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain, Emery singled out Rashford for praise: “He is a good guy – humble, a very good professional, and he is really happy with his team-mates.“He is being demanding on himself and with everything we want to work on with him, with them team.“He is playing free, he feels comfortable and this is the most important thing.
We try to connect with him as a person first of all, and afterwards as a player.“His process here is getting better, playing in two different positions. He started with us as a left-winger and now he is playing more as a striker.
It’s about how he can exploit his qualities as well as he can.“There is still work to do but the most important thing is his feeling. We are seeing him smiling and it is the best news we can have.
“I am seeing him happy, committed to everything we are doing and now it’s just about watching him play.”Marcus Rashford trying to haunt PSG againVilla are preparing to take on PSG in the Champions League and Emery will be mindful of the fact Rashford has delivered against the Ligue 1 giants in the past.Rashford scored the winner in United’s 3-1 win over PSG in 2019 when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side drove to a famous Champions League last-16 win.
That was nothing more than history two years later when Rashford produced the decisive moment yet again with a late drive that served to boost United’s Champions League group phase campaign.GamesGoalsAssists431Marcus Rashford record against PSGVilla will be hoping Rashford can provide more match-winning heroics against PSG on Wednesday night..
