Unai Emery offers explanation for Marcus Rashford improvement

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has put Marcus Rashford's return to form since joining the club on loan down to the player "smiling" and enjoying football again.

Since posting a 30-goal season for Manchester United in 2022/23, Rashford had endured a prolonged period of poor form. His training application was then openly questioned by new head coach Ruben Amorim, with sustained absence from matchday squads paving the way for January's exit.

Rashford has slotted in at Villa, quickly picking up seven goal involvements across all competitions.

Emery has put that resurgence down to both the player's character and the club's efforts to "connect with him as a person", in a bid to better understand what makes him tick.

"He is a good guy... humble," Emery said. "A very good professional, and really happy with his teammates. He is demanding on himself and with everything we want to work on with him, with the team. He is playing free, he feels comfortable and this is the most important thing. We try to connect with him as a person first of all, and afterwards as a player.

"His process here is getting better, playing in two different positions. He started with us as a left-winger and now he is playing more as a striker. It's about how he can exploit his qualities as well as he can.

"There is still work to do but the most important thing is his feeling. We are seeing him smiling and it is the best news we can have. I am seeing him happy, committed to everything we are doing and now it's just about watching him play."

Rashford is yet to complete 90 minutes in a game for Villa, having gone more than two months without playing from December to February, as he builds up his match fitness. His future beyond this season is also still to be decided, although Villa are reported to hold a £40m option to buy.

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