Aston Villa players' opinions on Marcus Rashford revealed through group chat message

The Aston Villa players' true sentiments towards Marcus Rashford have recently been uncovered through a revealing group chat message.

Rashford, who joined Villa on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season in February, has been gradually integrated into the first-team squad by manager Unai Emery. His move came after he was sidelined at United by manager Ruben Amorim.

'Marcus Rashford.'

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In Villa's 2-0 win over Cardiff in the FA Cup fifth round, Rashford made his second start in six appearances for the club. During the match, he provided his third assist for Villa, with Marco Asensio scoring from his cross to open the scoring.

Rashford’s assist tally at Villa now matches his total assists from 24 appearances at United this season. His loan contract reportedly includes an option for Villa to sign him permanently at the end of the season for a fixed fee, believed to be around £40 million.

According to a group chat message from Villa’s young player Cole Brannigan, the current squad would be thrilled to see the 27-year-old remain at the club. Brannigan, 17, who has not yet debuted for Villa but has trained alongside Rashford and other senior players, shared his admiration for the forward in an interview with Northern Irish outlet News Letter.

He revealed, "He's by far the best player I've seen technically. With the ball, he was absolutely ridiculous. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. We have a family group chat, and I just put in, 'Marcus Rashford is absolutely ridiculous.'"

Brannigan, a Northern Ireland youth international, went on to explain that Rashford’s presence at Villa provides him with an inspiring role model. "Having Marcus Rashford at the club, he's someone for me to look up to. The club do a good job in asking those players questions, so you try and use that to improve your own game," he added.

The 17-year-old, who signed his first professional contract with Villa in July 2024, could soon be sharing the pitch with Rashford if the England international decides to extend his stay at Villa Park. Brannigan, who came through the junior ranks at Northern Irish club Linfield, has made two appearances in Premier League 2 this season after joining Villa in the summer of 2023.