Gary Neville weighed in on Marcus Rashford’s loan move to Aston Villa, after it was officially announced that he would leave Man United and join Unai Emery’s side until the end of the season.
The 27-year-old underwent his medical on Sunday evening having already agreed a move to Villa Park, after falling out of favour under United boss Ruben Amorim.
The deal will be an initial loan until the end of the season but it will also include an option for Villa to sign Rashford permanently for a pre-agreed fee, which is understood to be £40million.
It is understood that Villa will cover 70 per cent of his wages, while the loan package will include bonuses for progressing in Europe and for qualifying for the Champions League again next season.
Neville could not mask his sadness, as Rashford has been a Red Devil for 20 years having joined the club at 7 years old, but he admitted that a move away from Old Trafford may be beneficial for the Carrington graduate.
‘I feel a number of emotions… a tinge of sadness,’ he said.
Gary Neville issued his verdict on Marcus Rashford’s loan move from Man United to Aston Villa
The 27-year-old joined Villa until the end of the season, with the option to stay permanently
The move comes amid Rashford’s publicly rocky relationship with United boss Ruben Amorim
‘Thinking of Marcus Rashford as an eight, nine-year-old United academy player, given a big contract a couple of years ago, scoring 30 goals a couple of years ago and being on top of his game, on and off the pitch, but the deterioration in the last couple of years has been alarming.
‘It is an absolute must that he has to get out of Manchester United and Old Trafford, and I feel sad saying that even a few weeks ago, let alone a few months ago.
‘I thought when Ruben Amorim came in, we would see a clean slate – it has got 10 times worse under Amorim than it was under Ten Hag in the sense that some of the things that have been said by his manager have been absolutely brutal.
‘He’s only been with him five or six weeks and they are a stain on his character. So he needs to get out, get the freedom away from Old Trafford and spend time at another club.
‘In terms of his move, he is going to a team that is far better than Manchester United at this moment in time. They’re in the Champions League, in the FA Cup, they are in with a shout of getting into the Champions League again.’
Neville went on to explain that playing under Emery could be beneficial for Rashford and give him a fresh, structured start away from United.
The Spaniard has a proven track record of success in his 21-year-long managerial career.
He has won 11 honours in that time, including four Europa League and two Ligue 1 titles.
Villa will cover 70 per cent of his wages and have the option to buy him for £40m in the summer
Rashford has missed United’s last 13 games – his appearance came on December 12 2024
Playing at Villa may dim the spotlight on Rashford and give him the chance to streamline his attention to his on-field duties away from the biggest club in England.
‘The most important thing for me is that I think he will be playing under a world-class coach. What he needs is instruction,’ Neville continued.
‘He needs structure and direction and discipline in his game. He is going to have four, five months working with one of the best coaches in Europe.
‘Any distraction he has, needs to go. Any sort of fallout that he may have had at Manchester United and what has happened need to go… he needs to go and play football, enjoy playing in a really good team, at a great club with a fantastic manager. They are the big pluses.
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‘He’s going to a better team with better players and a better coach. That’s not to be critical of Amorim but Emery is one of the very best.
‘I really want him to succeed, get that smile on his face and love his football again. It is the right move for both parties.’
Rashford has not played for United since mid-December when he fell out with Amorim.
The Portuguese boss has publicly questioned Rashford’s lifestyle and commitment, and warned him he must change if he were to have any hope of breaking back into his plans.
The forward – who has 138 United goals to his name after making 426 senior appearances for the Old Trafford outfit – said goodbye to his team-mates on Saturday.
Having entered the set-up aged seven, Rashford stepped into United’s first-team in 2016 and has never played senior club football for another team.
He scored two goals on his debut against Danish club Midtjylland in the Europa League, and then another brace in his Premier League debut against Arsenal just three days later.
During his time at the club, Rashford has helped United seal two FA Cups, two League Cups and one Europa League title.
