MARCUS RASHFORD insisted on TRAINING on his first day-off at Aston Villa as he looks to hit the ground running at his new club.
The former England striker was criticised as lazy, by his former boss Ruben Amorim who accused him of not putting enough effort into training or matches during his time at Manchester United.
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But SunSport can reveal Rashford has been a model pro since agreeing to join Villa on loan last Sunday.
He immediately made a favourable impression on new boss Unai Emery by refusing to take two days off at the start of his first week, along with his new teammates.
Instead, Rashford volunteered to come in for a punishing session on Monday when he spent time in the gym and then on the training pitch: “shaking off the cobwebs”, working with individual coaches.
The 27-year-old has settled in swiftly to life at his new club and made a positive start with his new teammates, who have taken to him immediately.
Crucially, Rashford will NOT commute from his Manchester home and has already started the hunt for accommodation in the West Midlands, so he spends as little time in a hotel as possible.
Villa insiders say the man who left Old Trafford under a cloud, has got the bit firmly between his teeth, and is ready to kickstart his career under Emery.
“It must have felt very different for Marcus when he arrived at Bodymoor Heath for the first time on Sunday,” we were told.
“After all, he has only known United‘s Carrington Training Ground or Old Trafford since he joined United’s Academy aged seven.
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“But he was keen to get to know staff and did all of his medical testing, then he went to the canteen with the club nutritionist, before having his pics taken in all three Villa kits and doing interviews with club TV.
“He smiled a lot and made a positive first impression on everyone who met him. He was down to earth, seemed eager to please and was genuinely excited at the new challenge ahead.”
Rashford was bowled over when Emery set out his vision for him during a lengthy phone conversation at the end of last week, which convinced him Villa was the perfect move at this critical stage in his career.
It was expected Rashford would hold out for a move to Euro giants Paris Saint-Germain or Barcelona, so Villa were surprised at how quickly the deal progressed once Emery spoke to the striker personally.
We were told: “Marcus had other options at home and abroad. But the lure of playing in the Champions League and challenging for a European place gave us an advantage.
“Unai spoke at length to him on the phone and he was incredibly detailed about what his vision was for Marcus.
“He spelled out exactly what he wanted him to do and what he would never expect him to do and painted a clear picture of how he intended to get his career on an upward trajectory again.
“It was a compelling conversation, there was absolutely no room for confusion, he told Marcus straight exactly what his plans were for him. It’s fair to say that phone-call sealed the deal.”
