Gary Neville has urged Marcus Rashford to buy into Unai Emery's demanding style as the England star prepares to join Aston Villa. Rashford has been seeking an exit from Manchester United since December, when he revealed he was ready for a new challenge. The forward has not played in any of United's 13 games since that bombshell interview. While he held hopes of joining AC Milan or Barcelona, it is Villa who have won the race for him. They have agreed a loan deal with United, which contains an option to buy clause at the end of the season.

It has been a challenging few years for Rashford, who has scored just seven goals this season amid frequent run-ins with his managers. Now he has the chance to resurrect his career in the Midlands under a boss in Emery who is renowned for the demands he places on his players. And Neville has urged Rashford to rise to the challenge of playing under a 'world-class manager'. Neville believes Villa are the perfect club for Rashford, but he will need to work hard to make the move a success.

"It had to happen. He had to get out of the club. He's been battered in the last few weeks by his manager. Most importantly. That's the only person who matters is your coach. Some of the statements from Ruben Amorim have been brutal," Neville told Sky Sports. "Emphatically saying he doesn't want. Moving on to Villa, there are a number of things in his favour. He's going to a far better team, he's going to a coach who is world class which is a real opportunity for him.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Marcus Rashford be a success at Aston Villa? Comment below. "I think it puts pressure on Marcus to perform for Unai Emery, because if you don't play for him, Unai Emery can't be the problem for Marcus Rashford, he has to play well for him. The style Villa play could suit Marcus as well. "Maybe the spolight won't be on him quite as much as at United. But there'll be a lot of attention. They've still got a lot to play for Villa and it's a real opportunity for Marcus. The last thing Marcus needs is someone saying 'go out and enjoy yourself'.

"He needs to have some discipline in his game, he needs to be coached. Unai Emery will do that. He's an absolutely amazing coach and he's exactly what Marcus Rashford needs. What he's got to do is buy into it.". Emery has so far refused to comment publicly on his side's move for Rashford. But he did admit that Villa will be active players in the closing hours of the transfer window. "Tomorrow and Monday we will see because we are working for different players. I don’t know exactly how we will finish. The club is working to join some players tomorrow and Monday," he said after the defeat to Wolves.

"We have to replace Diego Carlos, we have to replace Emi Buendia and we have to replace Jhon Duran. It is not easy because we don’t want to replace them with players who will not help us like I want. We are being demanding and intelligent.". Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.