Marcus Rashford has had a tough time of it over the last season or so, with the former Manchester United wonderkid getting isolated from his boyhood club.
However, he’s eventually landed on his feet with Barcelona managing to sign the attacker for a season-long loan, with their search for a new left-winger coming to an end.
Indeed, Luis Diaz was on their shortlist of potential targets, but with the amount of money Liverpool were demanding for the Colombian, a potential transfer never really got past an enquiry.
Luis Diaz of Bayern Munich acknowledges the fans following the pre-season friendly match between FC Bayern München and Olympique Lyonnais at Allianz Arena
Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images
And now that Rashford is out of the English spotlight, he could end up thriving and finally prove that he can live up to the expectations placed upon his shoulders throughout the early stages of his career.
Marcus Rashford names Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk as his toughest ever opponent
Although Rashford may not have been up to scratch over the last few years, it’s hard to deny that he’s a talented player.
There was even one point in his career when it felt like he could be England’s leader for years to come.
Instead, things turned sour at Old Trafford, and now, the Englishman has named a Liverpool ace as his toughest ever opponent.
This comes after he was asked which defender had given him the toughest time throughout his career thus far.
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“So far, I think [Virgil] Van Dijk,” he said to Diario Sport.
Virgil van Dijk will go down in Liverpool’s history books
Although many thought that Liverpool had overspent when they paid £70million for Van Dijk, that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Ever since arriving from Southampton, the Dutchman has quickly become one of the best centre-backs in the world, with Stephen Warnock even calling him an “immaculate” player.
He’s helped shore up the Reds’ defensive ranks on more than one occasion and, to be quite frank, it’s hard to see how Arne Slot’s men would have been as dominant last season without him at the back.
There was a point last season when it was unclear whether the centre-back would be leaving or not, but, unlike Trent Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk managed to see what the Reds were building and how he could still bring something positive to the team.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk in action during the 2025 Community Shield against Crystal Palace at Wembley
Photo by Steven Halliwell/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
At the moment, it’s anyone’s guess what could happen at the end of 2027 when his new deal expires, but as long as he keeps Liverpool’s back four in line and can still keep up with the younger attackers, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be able to see out the rest of his career at Anfield.