A former Manchester United player has warned it’s too early to say whether letting Marcus Rashford leave was a mistake.
The 27-year-old has shown glimpses of his old self since joining Premier League rivals Aston Villa on loan at the start of this month. The forward played a key part in Villa’s equaliser against Ipswich Town after coming off the bench on Saturday and striking the crossbar from a free-kick, with the rebound converted by Ollie Watkins.
Rashford’s improved form since departing Old Trafford has seen some critics accuse United manager Ruben Amorim of making an error of judgement by freezing him out. Those claims have only grown louder following an injury to Amad Diallo, whose position could have been covered by the England international.
However, ex-Red Devils goalkeeper Ben Foster believes such calls are premature with three months of the season still left to play. The former Wrexham stopper, who played for United between 2005 and 2010, made his comments despite admitting Rashford looks more content since arriving at Villa Park.
“I still think it’s a little bit too early to jump on the bandwagon,” Foster said on the latest episode of his Fozcast podcast. “I think everybody’s buzzing to try and jump on and go: ‘Oh, they’ve made a mistake by sending him out. What are they thinking? He should be doing this at Manchester United.’
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“He had a free kick and rattled it against the crossbar. It’s a fantastic free kick, and in fairness, the finish from Ollie Watkins was unreal. But he did look happier, he did look like he’s willing to get the ball and drive to try and take players on. He just needs to keep doing that.
Marcus Rashford© Aston Villa FC via Getty Images
“I think there’s always going to be that scrutiny on him, and for probably every game from now until the end of the season. It’s going to be watching every single move that he makes on that football pitch because it’s Marcus Rashford.”
Meanwhile, Arne Slot has made it clear that he believes Rashford is too good to not find top form again as Liverpool prepare to take on Villa on Wednesday. Slot is a big fan of the forward despite his club allegiance and has backed him to overcome his recent struggles at United.
The Liverpool boss said: “I know Marcus Rashford as I follow the Premier League and the first time I faced him was in USA tour. I was really impressed with how fast he is, nice height and comfortable on the ball. I hope he shows that at Villa but not tomorrow.
“I’d be completely surprised if a player of that quality isn’t going to show that in upcoming months. He is a very good player.”
