Football legends Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have recently shared their thoughts on Marcus Rashford's move to Aston Villa, addressing the striker's attitude issues that have been a topic of discussion in recent times.
Rashford has secured a loan move to Aston Villa until the end of the season, with an option for a £40m permanent transfer in summer. This comes after his strained relationship with Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim, who had repeatedly addressed Rashford’s absence from the United lineup.
Lineker and Shearer are optimistic about this new chapter in Rashford's career. They believe that under Unai Emery’s guidance at Aston Villa, he has an excellent chance to silence his critics and make a fresh start.
Striker’s troubles at Manchester United
The player's situation at United had become increasingly tense over time. In one instance, Amorim even stated he'd prefer to field his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach over any player not giving their "maximum" during training sessions - a comment widely interpreted as directed towards Rashford.
A report from The i quoted an anonymous source close to Rashford alleging that he felt 'bullied' by pundits criticising his subpar performances. Furthermore, it wasn't just Amorim who encountered problems with him; other managers also reportedly faced similar issues.
In March 2024, reports emerged about a significant rift between Rashford and former boss Erik ten Hag after the striker missed training due to late-night revelry in Belfast.
Attitude issues or misunderstanding?
While discussing these incidents on the Rest is Football podcast, ex-England forwards Shearer and Lineker suggested that some of these troubles might be linked to attitude issues. However, they also noted that such problems are not uncommon in the high-pressure world of professional football.
Gary Lineker, Premier League legend, said:
"It's probably a good move, hopefully for all at the moment. It's an ongoing thing with the press conferences with Amorim constantly being asked about Rashford. It was getting really difficult,"
Shearer, in particular, suggested that this move could be a turning point for Rashford. He believes that a change of environment and management could help the striker regain his form and confidence.
Alan Shearer, Premier League legend, said:
"Yeah, I think it's a real pivotal point now for Rashford, because he's not the only manager that's gone into Man United and thrown questions at Marcus Rashford. So I think it's best he gets out. And it's now up to him. And he's got the opportunity to get back to where he wants to be, to where he was years ago, and stop all the talk about whether he's got the right attitude, whether he wants it enough, whether he wants to play enough football. He's got the opportunity at a huge football club to go and do that now.
"So he's been given another opportunity. He's had people criticise him he thinks unfairly but I don't think everyone can be wrong in terms of the managers that have had a pop. So he's now got the chance to get his career back on track."
Despite the challenges faced by Marcus Rashford at Manchester United, there is a sense of optimism about his future at Aston Villa. With the backing of football legends like Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer, fans will be eagerly watching to see if he can turn things around under Unai Emery's guidance.
