Aston Villa's former team-mate Marcus Rashford is expected to bring his 'amazing' qualities to Manchester United after being reunited with his former Aston Villa team-mate Youri Tielemans. Tielemans joined Manchester United from Aston Villa this summer for £35m and played alongside Rashford during the England international's loan spell at Villa in 2025.
What happened?
Rashford returned to United this summer after Barcelona opted not to make his loan move permanent. The Catalan club had a £26m option to buy the forward but chose not to activate it. Rashford could feature for United for the first time in 18 months as United take on Leeds in Dublin on Wednesday night.
Why it matters for Aston Villa
Tielemans was impressed by Rashford's attitude during their time together in Birmingham, despite the scrutiny surrounding the forward. “He was great [at Villa]. There had been so much talk about him, bringing pressure and the media around him, but he was so good,” Tielemans said. “He was very humble and hard-working, and from the first training session you could tell his touch and acceleration were just amazing. “That was what we needed at the time. He did many good things and hopefully he can bring them here.”
What comes next?
Manchester United are currently 20 points behind leaders Arsenal in the Premier League title race. Aston Villa are on a 4-game winning run, with 56 goals scored and 49 conceded this season. The Villans' next fixture is against Hull City away on September 5. Amadou Onana and John McGinn are currently sidelined for Aston Villa.
Tielemans' praise for Rashford
Tielemans was impressed by Rashford's attitude during their time together in Birmingham, despite the scrutiny surrounding the forward. “He was great [at Villa]. There had been so much talk about him, bringing pressure and the media around him, but he was so good,” Tielemans said. “He was very humble and hard-working, and from the first training session you could tell his touch and acceleration were just amazing. “That was what we needed at the time. He did many good things and hopefully he can bring them here.”
Recent form
Aston Villa are currently 4th in the Premier League, with 65 points from 38 games. They have a recent form of 4W-1D-0L (WWWWD, most recent first). Their last result was a 2-1 win over Manchester City on May 24. They are on a 4-game winning run, with 56 goals scored and 49 conceded this season.
