Marcus Rashford appears to have already caused some dressing room drama after arriving at Aston Villa on loan from Manchester United.
Prior to departing on loan, Rashford was at the centre of controversy at Man United, having been exiled from first-team action by manager Ruben Amorim.
When pressed about his reason for not selecting Rashford, Amorim explained that he simply couldn’t connect with the player or get him to view football from his point of view. This issue extended to training sessions as well.
Upon arriving at Villa, it appeared as if the Englishman had a new lease on life, coming off the bench to help his new team secure a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup.
Even in victory, however, it appears as though Rashford is incapable of ridding himself of controversy.
The Daily Mail reported this morning that the United loanee’s arrival at Villa Park has frustrated fellow winter signing Donyell Malen.
“When the on-loan Manchester United forward replaced Donyell Malen in the second half, Villa Park erupted,” the article said in reference to Rashford’s FA Cup substitute appearance.
Still, the seeming favouritism of Villa fans toward Rashford is not the only thing that angered Malen.
“Imagine Malen’s mood when he was told last week by Villa boss Unai Emery that he would not feature in Europe this season,” the report read.
“UEFA rules permit clubs to add only three winter signings to their Champions League squads and Emery went for Rashford and fellow loan signings Marco Asensio and Axel Disasi. That left Malen and Andres Garcia as the odd men out.”
“Garcia has rarely played at the top level and the defender, who signed from Spanish second-tier club Levante, could have few complaints. Yet Malen, with 51 European appearances to his name, is a different kettle of fish.”
Arriving on loan from Borussia Dortmund, Malen represented the German side in last season’s UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid, meaning that he has recently featured at the highest level of European football.
In contrast, Rashford’s Champions League campaign last season was a brief one as United crashed out of the tournament in the group stage.
As Rashford looks to adjust to life at Villa, it appears as if controversy seems to follow the United academy graduate wherever he goes, even when it’s not a result of his actions.
It seems as if trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes, meaning that United might be better off parting ways with Rashford on a permanent basis once his loan is at its end.
Featured image Clive Mason via Getty Images
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Mathew Cohen
A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
