Rashford made his first appearance in claret and blue on Sunday night, coming off the bench in the FA Cup fourth-round victory over Spurs.
The 27-year-old stepped onto the pitch for the first time since mid-December, having been frozen out at Manchester United by Ruben Amorim, who cited issues with his effort and performance in training. ..Continue Reading
Rashford had been linked with various clubs, including AC Milan and Barcelona, but Villa managed to secure the England international late in the transfer window, handing him the No.9 shirt.
Rashford joined on an initial loan, with Villa holding an option to purchase him permanently for £40 million.
His appearance on Sunday was met with loud cheers from Villa fans, with Rashford looking sharp and eager to prove himself after entering the game alongside fellow new signing Marco Asensio.
After the match, Rashford took to Instagram and shared a series of photos from the game, captioning the post: “Thank you for the warm welcome. Great team performance.”
The post received numerous comments from former teammates and current colleagues, but it was Sancho’s one-word message that caused the most stir.
In the comments section, Sancho simply wrote: “Freedom!”
The former Borussia Dortmund player had been publicly ostracized by Erik ten Hag at United following a social media post where he refuted the Dutchman’s claims.
After being made to train and eat on his own for refusing to apologize, Sancho briefly returned for pre-season before being loaned to Chelsea, who have an obligation to buy him for around £25 million.
Despite Rashford’s friendship with Sancho, the Daily Mail reported that the England international was not pleased with the remark.
Citing sources from Rashford’s camp, the outlet stated that he “doesn’t appreciate being dragged into his former United and England teammate’s apparent beef with the club.”
Rashford still wants to remain on good terms with his boyhood club and the supporters who have cheered him on since his breakthrough in 2015.
Sancho may have left the players’ WhatsApp group, but he is still technically a United player, with the club paying £50,000 of his reported £250,000-a-week wage at Chelsea, where he has scored twice and provided two assists.
Rashford and Sancho are represented by the same PR agency, which also manages Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, and Mason Mount.
Rashford could make his full Villa debut on Saturday when they host Ipswich Town at Villa Park.
