Aston Villa loanee Marcus Rashford continues to receive widespread praise for his positive impact since joining us.
The 27-year-old arrived on loan from Man Utd for the remainder of the campaign during the January transfer window, and he has wasted little time in making a key contribution.
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While he has added an important new dynamic to our attacking play, he added a decisive touch this weekend with two assists in our 2-1 win over Chelsea.
Unsurprisingly, that has led to praise from pundits across the board, as after his struggles at Old Trafford over the past two seasons, Rashford looks more confident, focused and happy after getting a fresh start under Unai Emery.
“He’s made a massive impact in the team already, you couldn’t ask for more if you were a manager. Lot of people out there thinking I wish I had taken him, he’s been excellent so far,” Jamie Redknapp said on Sky Sports.
Fellow pundit and ex-Villa midfielder Steve Sidwell added: “He’s been superb, and I think the key there is in his [Emery’s] interview, give him support and comfort, showing him clips of what he’s done brilliant at Man Utd, and then giving him all the tools, ultimately it then comes down to the player.”
The hope when Rashford signed was that Emery would be able to work his magic again, having inspired improvement and development in countless Villa players since he was appointed.
However, it’s an important point that Sidwell makes too, in that the club can do everything they can to help a player rediscover their best form and fulfil their potential, but it still ultimately comes down to the player himself to deliver.
The England forward has shown great desire, commitment and intent when featuring for us thus far, and that’s just as pleasing as his contributions in the final third as he has a short time with us potentially if his move isn’t made permanent, and the fact that he’s made such a quick impact is crucial to our progress and ability to achieve our objectives this season.
Rashford continued to receive praise after our win over Chelsea, as on Match of the Day, Alan Shearer noted: “He looks as though he’s got a bit of love back for the game and there’s no doubt he’s playing with more energy in the start to his Villa career than we’ve seen in him for a long time.”
MOTD pundit Danny Murphy added: “It was inspired by Marcus Rashford who has just got a new lease of life, his body language is good, he looks happy, he looks like he’s playing free.”