Liverpool manager Arne Slot has revealed he would be “completely surprised” if Marcus Rashford did not regain his form in an Aston Villa shirt as the forward, on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season, is a “very good player.”
Speaking in a press-conference as the Dutch manager prepares his side to travel to Villa Park tomorrow evening, Slot was asked about Rashford and his qualities as a player.
“A Very Good Player”
The 46-year-old, who replaced Jurgen Klopp at Anfield in the summer, revealed how “impressed” he was with the 27-year-old forward when he “faced him for the first time” in Liverpool’s pre-season match against United in America.
“I was really impressed with how fast [Rashford] is, how he has a nice height. He’s comfortable with the ball, so I think he’s a very good player,” Slot states.
🚨🏴 Arne Slot on Marcus Rashford: “I was really impressed by how fast he is, he has a nice height”.
“I will be completely surprised if a player of that quality will not show this in the upcoming months. He’s a very good player”. @BeanymanSports 🎥 pic.twitter.com/xiACequSj6
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 18, 2025
Ruben Amorim is likely to agree with his rival on Rashford’s technical and physical qualities as a footballer, given the Portuguese coach has reiterated that since arriving at Old Trafford in November.
However, Amorim found the Englishman’s approach to football, and his application and attitude in training, to be unacceptable, negating these positive attributes.
Unacceptable Standards
Rashford was dropped for the Manchester Derby in December with his head coach revealing “it was not a disciplinary thing” when explaining the decision to omit the 27-year-old.
Three days after the triumphant 2-1 win for United, Rashford released a blockbuster interview declaring he was “ready for a new challenge” away from Old Trafford, despite Amorim having laid down a gauntlet to the forward to improve.
As a result, Rashford has not played for his boyhood club since this incident in December, with United agreeing a loan move to Villa late in the January transfer window which includes a £40 million buy-option.
A number of clubs across Europe had registered an interest in Rashford, such as AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, and Barcelona, but an exorbitant wage packet proved too costly for negotiations to progress, as the 27-year-old was unwilling to compromise on his salary.
Unai Emery was described as “key” to Villa’s pursuit of Rashford with the Birmingham club agreeing to pay 75% of his wages, though this can reach as high as 90% with performance bonuses.
And the United loanee will be hoping to repay this faith in his new manager in tomorrow night’s showdown at Villa Park against Liverpool.
Slot hopes Rashford will recapture his previous performances at Villa – “of course I’m not hoping he will do this tomorrow” – and reveals he would be “completely surprised if a player of that quality did not show this [improved form] in the coming months.”
The Dutchman concludes, “He’s a very good player, in my opinion,” offering a subtle dig to his North West rivals over the decision to let Rashford go, at a time when the Red Devils’ forward line is struggling so acutely.
Featured image Clive Mason via Getty Images
Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
