Marcus Rashford faces pressure to prove himself at Aston Villa as Roy Keane doubts his motivation after Manchester United departure

Roy Keane isn’t convinced that Marcus Rashford’s move to Aston Villa will reignite his passion for the game.

The former Manchester United captain questioned whether the forward, who struggled with motivation at Old Trafford, could suddenly rediscover his drive in a different Premier League setting.

Rashford’s decision to leave United in January came after a revealing interview where he admitted he had wanted to move on shortly after Ruben Amorim took charge.

While he made an immediate impact by scoring just seconds into Amorim’s first match against Ipswich, their relationship quickly soured, making his exit inevitable.

Fallout with Amorim Seals Rashford’s Departure

Tensions between Rashford and Amorim escalated after the forward was dropped for the Manchester derby on December 15.

The Portuguese manager publicly criticized Rashford’s training standards and continued to stand by those comments when questioned by the media.

Things took a bizarre turn when Amorim went as far as to suggest he’d rather field his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach than Rashford.

That statement seemed to be the final straw, leading to Rashford’s loan move to Aston Villa.

Keane and Wright Debate the Transfer

Speaking on ITV, Keane expressed his surprise at Rashford’s choice, admitting he had expected him to move abroad for a completely fresh start.

“It’s been on the cards for a while now,” Keane said.

“He and Amorim clearly didn’t get along. But if he lost his hunger at United, how is he going to find it at Villa?”

Ian Wright, however, had a different take.

The former Arsenal striker argued that sometimes a change of environment—even within the same league—can make all the difference.

“United have ambitions, sure, but Villa are performing better right now,” Wright pointed out.

“We can’t dismiss what they’ve done. If Rashford finds his form again, he’s still a quality player. People always read into body language, but we’ll see.”

Keane remained unconvinced. “Once you lose that hunger, it’s tough to get it back,” he insisted.

“Villa is not United. If he didn’t have it there, how will he have it here?”

Wright countered by suggesting that Rashford might simply need a new challenge, but Keane doubled down.

“I thought he’d go abroad for a complete change,” he added.

“He’s still based in Manchester, still surrounded by the same people.”

What’s Next for Rashford at Villa?

Despite the debate, Rashford might get his chance to prove the doubters wrong straight away.

With Villa’s star striker Ollie Watkins dealing with an injury, Rashford could be thrown into the starting lineup immediately.

His first real test comes this weekend in the FA Cup against Tottenham, followed by crucial Premier League clashes against Ipswich and Liverpool.

He’s one of three attacking reinforcements Villa brought in during the January transfer window, alongside Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund and Marco Asensio from PSG.

Currently sitting eighth in the league and just six points off the top four, Villa will be hoping that Rashford can hit the ground running.

Whether this move revitalizes his career or confirms Keane’s doubts remains to be seen.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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