A former Manchester United player has expressed strong disapproval of Ruben Amorim's treatment of Marcus Rashford following the forward's recent loan transfer to Aston Villa. The deal, finalised yesterday, will see Rashford wear the Villa colours until the end of the season, with the club holding an option to secure his services permanently for a pre-agreed fee of £40 million.
According to MailOnline, Aston Villa is set to cover approximately 70 per cent of Rashford's substantial weekly wages. The loan arrangement also includes performance-related bonuses linked to the club's success in European competitions and their potential qualification for the next season's Champions League.
Rashford, now 27, has not featured for Manchester United since mid-December, reportedly due to a fallout with manager Amorim. In a candid interview, he expressed his eagerness to embrace a new challenge. Amorim has publicly questioned Rashford's commitment during training, suggesting that the player must make significant changes to his attitude to earn a place back in the squad. The manager's frustration was evident in his comments, where he indicated a preference for fielding his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach, Jorge Vital, over a player who does not give his "maximum".
Mikael Silvestre, who enjoyed a successful nine-year tenure at Manchester United, winning four Premier League titles, believes that Amorim's comments have crossed a line. “I think it's too much. I think it's disrespectful,” Silvestre stated during a discussion on beIN Sports. He added, “You can say over the time he's been in charge, his communication has been difficult for him. Losing games, having player selection difficult, injuries. But talking about Marcus in such a way, nine years old he joined Manchester United, I think this type of conversation, you can have it privately. In public, I don't think that does anyone any favours, the team, the owners or Marcus.”
Aston Villa confirmed Rashford's loan signing last night, stating, “Aston Villa is delighted to announce the loan signing of Marcus Rashford from Manchester United.” The England international, who has earned 60 caps for his country, took to Instagram to express his gratitude towards both clubs for facilitating the move. “I was lucky to have a few clubs approach me but Aston Villa was an easy decision - I really admire the way that Aston Villa have been playing this season, and the manager's ambitions. I just want to play football and am excited to get started.”
Rashford's departure from United followed a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford, marking a challenging period for the team. Silvestre noted that Amorim's remarks might have been an attempt to provoke a response from the players, but he commented, “It didn't last long enough. In terms of going forward, we're talking about surgery. This is going to take years. I don't know how much he will have to invest to build a team that responds to his way of playing, his formation and the way he wants to attack. He's always talking about attack. I want to make sure we don't concede first, especially at Old Trafford. Everyone's coming to Old Trafford and rolling over us.”
As Rashford embarks on this new chapter with Aston Villa, the hope is that he can rediscover his form and contribute significantly to the club's ambitions this season.