“We know…” What Kieran McKenna said about Marcus Rashford behind the scenes after Manchester United loan

Former Manchester United coach Kieran McKenna has opened up on Marcus Rashford’s Aston Villa loan move as Ipswich Town prepare to face them in the Premier League.

Marcus Rashford embarked on a six-month loan move to Aston Villa last month and made his debut over the weekend in an FA Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur.

Once the focal point of Manchester United’s attack, Rashford enjoyed a brilliant 30-goal season under Erik ten Hag in 2022/23. However, his form has since declined, and he struggled for game time under Rúben Amorim.

With Amad and Bruno Fernandes now key figures, Rashford had gone over six weeks without featuring before making the switch to Villa Park.

A product of United’s academy, he made an unforgettable debut at 18, scoring twice against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League before netting another brace against Arsenal in the Premier League.

Since then, he has played over 420 times for United, scoring 138 goals and providing 63 assists, while winning five major trophies.

McKenna opens up on Rashford’s loan

Former United coach under Ole Gunnar Solskjær Kieran McKenna is now in charge of Ipswich Town, who face Villa on Saturday afternoon.

McKenna worked very closely with Rashford during his time at United, and has been speaking to the press about his reaction to the Villa loan move.

“Marcus at his best would be an addition to any team in the league,” McKenna said. “We know what a threat he is, of course the boys faced him not so long ago with Man United but have also seen him up close at his best and he can be a fantastic player.

“We know his qualities, we know there’s a chance that we’ll come up against him in some respect on Saturday whether that’s from the start or off the bench.

“They’ve got a very deep, high quality forward unit where they can make really impactful subs, and they can change the balance of the attacking unit by changing some personnel.

“You’re going to face a very strong front four at the start of the game and there’s every chance you’re going to face a really strong different front four at the end of the game.

“We’ve had to be thorough with our preparation, we look forward to taking on that challenge and Marcus will be part of that.”

What Rashford was like behind the scenes

Further, McKenna was asked about Rashford as a character. There have been previous claims that the player was not working hard enough in training, which was a big reason why Amorim shunned the winger before his switch to Birmingham.

Read More: Ruben Amorim’s “ideal” Manchester United striker must have one key attribute, INEOS have controversial transfer rule

Reflecting on Rashford as a character, McKenna added: “He was enjoyable to work with. Of course a big talent, I had known him for a lot longer because he came through the academy set-up.

“I joined the academy set-up just after he’d progressed to the first team but we faced him in the FA Youth Cup [when I was at Tottenham] and I was close with the academy coaches who worked with him, so it was very easy for me to build a good relationship and trust with him.

“He’s not so much of a young player anymore but he was when I worked with him, with most young players building that trust and that rapport is important. We managed to have that and he’s a big talent.

“Hopefully this will be a good move for him in terms of getting back into form and playing regularly which I’m sure he’ll want to do. I’m sure he adds some different options and has made his judgement on the right criteria.

“He’s certainly gone to a good club to play under a top manager and are still in a lot of competitions. I hope it goes well for him but, of course, not on Saturday.”

Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is released every Wednesday at 6 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.