Ollie Watkins has backed Marcus Rashford to start firing for Aston Villa once he has a few more games under his belt.
Rashford has joined Villa on loan until the end of the season from Manchester United in a bid to resurrect his career. After being frozen out by Ruben Amorim, he has found a new home at Villa, where he has made three appearances so far.
The 27-year-old forward made his first start for Unai Emery’s side in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool on Wednesday night as a reward for his telling contribution in the 1-1 draw with Ipswich on the weekend. He showed glimpses of his talent and nearly opened his Villa account when Alisson flew off his line, only for Ibrahima Konate to head clear Rashford’s effort.
It was goals from Youri Tielemans and Watkins which earned a new-look Villa side a creditable point against the Premier League leaders. Rashford featured alongside fellow January signings Marco Asensio, Donyell Malen, Andres Garcia and Axel Disasi – and Watkins is confident they will help Villa pick up a win soon after five league games without one.
“It is nice playing with quality players and I am sure in the future games I will get more opportunities,” he told TNT Sports. “They haven’t had that long to show what they can do and they are still finding their feet. When they get a few games under their belt I am sure it will flow and connect together nicely.”
Emery is a huge fan of Rashford and was the driving force behind his capture in January. The Villa manager paid tribute to Liverpool star Mohamed Salah before the match and hinted that Rashford is capable of having a similar impact for his team.
Discussing Rashford alongside on-loan Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Asensio, Emery said: “They are in an individual process of getting fit. Tactically, we’re changing with them, and we have to practice with them in training sessions as well as practising while they are playing in matches.
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“We did that in two matches with Asensio and Marcus and with Axel Disasi in the last match. We are working every day and we are having some meetings trying to show them it. Now they are getting better and understanding more and they are closer to playing in the starting XI.”
Rashford returned seven goals and three assists in all competitions for United before making the move to Villa Park. He jumped ship after making it clear that he was ready for a new challenge – an admission that saw him removed from the United first-team squad by Amorim for nearly two months.
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