Marcus Rashford has been in fine form for Barcelona this season, but his playing time has been reduced in recent weeks and the Englishman has had a telling response
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has heaped praise on Marcus Rashford for his mature response to reduced game time. The on-loan Manchester United star has been restricted to substitute roles in four of his past five fixtures.
Following his fall from grace at Old Trafford under Ruben Amorim, Rashford secured a loan switch to Aston Villa in January before embarking on another temporary move this summer, heading to Spain.
There, he has proved himself a useful squad member under Flick, netting six goals to date, with four of those strikes coming in the Champions League. His time on the pitch has diminished in recent weeks as other first-team regulars have returned from injury, but Rashford’s response to this has impressed his boss.
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Rashford’s attitude was frequently questioned at his boyhood club, United, particularly by Amorim, who raised concerns about the England star’s commitment in training. He was also benched by Flick after turning up late to a September team meeting.
However, Flick now has nothing but admiration for Rashford regarding how he has accepted a reduced role. It has been Brazilian star Raphinha who has effectively replaced him in the starting line-up after recovering from a hamstring problem, with Robert Lewandowski the preferred option up front.
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Flick said: “I try to speak to every player when they are not selected and the last time I checked with him he replied to me, ‘Boss, you don’t have to tell me about your decisions. The most important thing is the team. We have to win the three points. The rest is not that important.’
“This is the perfect mentality. I am so happy to have him. When he is on the bench, he shows that we have a good and deep squad,” he continued.
“What I can say is that he is an absolutely professional player. In the beginning, he had to adapt a little bit, but now he is at his best level.”
Rashford himself opened up last week about his loan spell at Barcelona. The 28-year-old was enthusiastic about his time with the Spanish giants so far.
He said: “I don’t see anything here as like a pressure. It’s just, I’m here to play football,” and “It’s been amazing. I feel welcome, I feel at home.
“I’ve just been enjoying every step of the way. It’s a new language of football. I’ve always been, like many people in the world, an admirer of Spanish football.
“To play for the biggest club in Spain is a huge honour. I’m looking forward to playing more games here, and I’m just doing my best and try to help the team to win.
“It’s a club that demands this,” he continued. “The environment is always pushing us to be the best players we can be, so it’s perfect to be in a place like this as a player.”
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