Marcus Rashford reflects on “great” Aston Villa debut, Diogo Dalot and Antony react

Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford has reflected on his debut for Aston Villa after beating Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup.

Marcus Rashford made a temporary switch from Manchester United to Aston Villa in the January transfer window, joining on loan for the rest of the season.

The 27-year-old hadn’t featured for United since early December and had previously hinted in an interview that he was open to a fresh challenge.

His debut for Villa got off to a promising start, as he put in a strong performance off the bench against Tottenham.

Playing as a lone striker, Rashford won four of his six duels, made a successful tackle, and completed 13 of his 14 passes, along with a successful take-on.

One of his standout moments came when he drifted out to the left flank, nutmegged Pedro Porro, and surged towards the box. Though Porro tried to recover and fouled him, the referee allowed play to continue.

Rashford will now be pushing for a place in the starting XI as Villa prepare to take on Ipswich Town in their next Premier League match.

Rashford reflects on Villa debut

Rashford took to Instagram after the game to reflect on his debut for Villa and his first-ever club game not in the colours of United.

The Academy graduate wrote: “Thank you for the warm welcome. Great team performance 🙌🏾”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Marcus Rashford (@marcusrashford)

Diogo Dalot was the first United player to like the post and fellow United loanee Antony, who is currently at Real Betis for the remainder of the season, also reacted to the post.

Former United academy star Ravel Morrison commented: “Looked sharp my bro, your time to shine.”

United need loanees to succeed

United fans will have mixed feelings seeing Rashford back on the pitch, especially after a sharp performance amid the problems within Ruben Amorim’s squad.

Ultimately, now that the decision has been made, the Reds need Rashford and their other loaned players to have successful seasons.

Rashford, Antony and Tyrell Malacia could commend a large amount of cash if all three of them manage to show the best versions of themselves during their loan spells.

Ahead of what should be a busy summer transfer window, that is exactly what United and Amorim need.

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