Marcus Rashford has made a bright start to his loan spell at Aston Villa, with Manchester United legend Gary Pallister issuing his verdict on the forward
11:58, 11 Mar 2025Updated 11:59, 11 Mar 2025
Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford joined Aston Villa in January(Image: PA)
Marcus Rashford's promising start at Aston Villa has sparked hope that he can return to his top form away from Manchester United.
The Red Devils have been heavily criticised for their decision to award Rashford a lucrative new contract until 2028, worth at least £300,000 per week, two years ago.
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He had just completed a career-best season under Erik ten Hag, scoring 30 goals, one of the highest tallies among Europe's strikers. However, Rashford was unable to maintain this momentum, managing only 15 goals in the following year and a half.
While the situation looked bleak, his recent improvement in form - providing three assists for goals for Marco Asensio, despite not yet finding the back of the net - vindicates the decisions made by United's former management, reports the Express.
The decision to let go of the club's golden boy so soon after making such a significant financial commitment was a stark sign of Rashford's fall from grace at Old Trafford.
Marco Asensio celebrating with Marcus Rashford
Marco Asensio celebrating with Marcus Rashford(Image: Getty Images)
However, club legend Gary Pallister strongly disagrees with those who suggest, with the benefit of hindsight, that United were wrong to extend his contract in 2023.
"A fully fit and firing Marcus Rashford gets into most teams in the Premier League. They were right to give him a new contract," Pallister told Express Sport with Spaceport Sweden.
"We can argue about the size of the contract and the money that was paid, in hindsight. But at that time, how many goals did he score that year?
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"His form was blistering, he was a regular in the England squad, and he was one of the finest strikers in the Premier League, I would suggest. So nobody foresaw the dip in his form after that."
However, Pallister reckons it was the right call to let Rashford leave in January as he "didn't look happy" in a United shirt.
The legendary defender hinted that the 27-year-old's hefty contract might have played a part in his career downturn at Old Trafford.
Marcus Rashford claps the Manchester United fans
Marcus Rashford was unhappy at Manchester United(Image: PA Wire)
"There is always a theory, and I've heard managers talk about it, that once you give a player a big contract, they kind of get into a comfortable space, and they maybe lose a bit of hunger," Pallister added.
"I've had chats with countless managers who are concerned about that, about the money that's around in the game, and how you're very comfortable once you're signing one of these big contracts."
Despite Rashford's rejuvenated performances at Villa Park, Pallister isn't sure whether the loanee will ever don a United shirt again.
He concluded: "Whether he can come back to Manchester United or not remains to be seen.
"Whether he's got the desire to come back to Manchester United, whether things would have to change at Manchester United for him to come back and be happy, or whether it's more deep-rooted than that, who knows?".
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"We're all second-guessing. He's gone to Aston Villa and he's done alright. He's still not managed to secure a regular berth in the first team; he's mostly coming off the bench, but when he is, he's making an impact.
"So I think every Manchester United fan would like to think Marcus can come back and be Marcus Rashford of old. But whether that's an actual possibility remains to be seen."