Troy Deeney hits out at Marcus Rashford claims from Aston Villa
Marcus Rashford has seen his form improve since a loan move to Aston Villa, but questions still remain over his England call-up.
The 27-year-old found himself frozen out at Manchester United before making the loan move to Villa Park for the remainder of the campaign.
Since his arrival, Rashford has made nine appearances in all competitions, contributing four assists and receiving a call-up to Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad.
Troy Deeney fumes at Rashford claims
The Villans sit ninth in the Premier League table but are just three points off fifth place, meaning they can still achieve European football again for next season.
Unai Emery’s side are also in the quarter-finals of both the Champions League and the FA Cup, also giving a good opportunity for silverware.
However, there were some feelings that Rashford’s call-up to the England squad was too soon, given he has mostly had a poor campaign by his standards.
Speaking live on talkSPORT (24 March, 1:21 pm), Deeney hit out, saying: “It’s a sad state of affairs when with Marcus we have to say he’s running around and he’s trying and we have to see that as a positive.
“That’s a sorry indictment on where his career’s gone because he’s clearly a talented boy, but when we say, ‘he’s running around, he’s trying’, it’s like thanks mate, appreciate that.
“Confidence is an individual thing, I would think to have the abilities he has and the opportunities he’s had, what more confidence does he need? The reason he’s been picked in this England team is because of what he did before.
“Apparently, if you ask everybody, he’s the reason Aston Villa have been great since January. I would strongly disagree with that. So what more confidence does he need?”
Rashford still has more to prove
If you compare Rashford’s season at Manchester United to the point of his loan move and how he’s done since, there is no doubt that his standards have improved.
From that perspective, it has been the perfect move for all parties, with the player consistently delivering performances of a higher standard.
| Team | Appearances (all competitions) | Goals | Assists |
| Manchester United | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| Aston Villa | 24 | 7 | 3 |
However, you can understand Deeney’s point of view as well, and if you consider the levels we know Rashford can reach, he still has plenty to show.
His England call-up did ruffle some feathers, and his performance against Albania on Friday (21 March) was not good enough to defend the decision taken by Tuchel.
However, with Anthony Gordon having returned to Newcastle with an injury, Rashford may be given another chance to prove what he can do against Latvia on Monday.
Villa still have plenty to play for too, so upon a return from international duty, Rashford will have to continue to deliver high standards in Claret and Blue.