Ruben Amorim Marcus Rashford
(Credit: Imago)
Villa News Speaking to Ian Darke
Tue 1 April 2025 18:29, UK
Marcus Rashford is enjoying a new lease of life at Aston Villa after the first transfer of his career brought him south from Manchester United.
The England man has restored himself into Three Lions reckoning, and returned from international duty to fire his first two goals in a Villa shirt to secure a place at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-finals.
Rashford was the instigator of a dominant second half for Unai Emery’s men at Preston North End, eventually securing the 3-0 win at Deepdale (30 March) to avoid the banana skin against the Championship outfit and set up a semi-final clash with Crystal Palace.
Marcus Rashford playing for England
Rashford is back in an England shirt after impressing for Aston Villa (Credit: Imago)
Rashford ‘given extra motivation’ by Ruben Amorim clash
Rashford has taken to the new environment at Aston Villa excellently, dovetailing in a superb manner with fellow January loanee Marco Asensio – the two of them very much used to the spotlight and pressure to deliver.
The 27-year-old finally broke his duck in claret and blue on Sunday, at a ground just 36 miles north-west of his parent home of Old Trafford.
TV commentator Ian Darke covered the quarter-final tie for ESPN over the weekend and insisted part of Rashford’s psyche has majorly improved, and the motivation to do so could be out of spite towards Amorim and Man United.
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“Preston had a plan which they’d worked on for two weeks to try and frustrate and foil Villa, and performed admirably in the first half. Then they got ambitious, tried to play further up the pitch, and started to leave a few gaps. In the end, Villa’s class told. Rashford was at the heart of that,” Darke explained exclusively to Villa News.
“He’s played his part and looked very bright since arriving, even if the goals hadn’t been there up to the weekend. He’s becoming a regular starter in the team, and certainly part of his ambition will be to prove Ruben Amorim wrong and embarrass Manchester United.
“Within a few weeks of being an outcast at Old Trafford, he’s on his way to Wembley with Villa and he’s back in the England squad. I’m sure Man United fans will look at it with a bit of envy and think ‘it could’ve been us’. Amorim didn’t like Rashford’s attitude, that much is clear. Maybe from Rashford’s point of view, he’s had a look at himself in the mirror and changed his approach in the new environment.”
Marcus Rashford smiling for Aston Villa
Rashford looks far more content at Villa Park (Credit: Imago)
Aston Villa have huge trophy chance from Rashford form
Aston Villa remain fighting on three fronts, an achievement heading into April that barely anyone in Europe can still boast.
However, Villans fans will suffer a far more intense crash back down to Earth if they emerge without a trophy from this rollercoaster campaign.
Marcus Rashford v Preston (30 March)
Goals 2
Shots 5
Shots on target 4
Expected goals (xG) 1.48
Chances created 3
(Fotmob)
While they may not be favourites over two legs against a so-far unstoppable Paris Saint-Germain side in the Champions League quarter-finals, they will indeed be backed to reach the FA Cup final over Palace.
Big-game operators like Rashford will be heavily relied upon to help Emery and his charges get the job done and deliver the much-longed-for silverware to Villa Park in 2025.
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