Marcus Rashford has underlined his appreciation for the reception he received from the Aston Villa fans. The former Manchester United star made his debut on Sunday evening as his new side saw off Tottenham in the FA Cup. Unai Emery opted to start with Rashford on the bench before he was cheered onto the pitch when he came on in the second half. Rashford hadn't played for 59 days having been frozen out at Old Trafford. He was dropped by Ruben Amorim in mid-December and it became clear that the forward wasn't part of his plans. He continued to shun the Englishman, who made it clear he wanted to take on a new challenge.
Rashford entered Sunday's game as a substitute in the 65th minute and went on to touch the ball 22 times. After the victory the loanee took to Instagram and made his feelings clear as he thanks his new supporters. He posted several photos from the game - including two featuring young fans holding up homemade signs with his name on - and wrote: "Thank you for the warm welcome. Great team performance".
Emery has guided Villa into the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in a decade after adding Rashford and Marco Asensio over the past week or so. The Spaniard had no interest in the reasons behind his Manchester exit and is just keen to get Rashford back to his best. He said last week: "As a person as well, he’s been introduced to the dressing room as one more player helping us. His potential is huge to exploit. I don’t want to know the reasons he is leaving Manchester United. I am very happy keeping him here to try to help him recover his performances.
"His challenge with us exciting and mine is huge. The club worked well in the window. I am happy with him and will try to get the best of him. He will try to play and train as a normal player.". Villa secured Rashford's services late in the January transfer window, landing him on loan until the end of the season, but they will have the option to sign him permanently in the summer for a fee of £40million.
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