Daniel Sturridge was full of praise for Marcus Rashford after his impressive performance on Tuesday evening, despite the defeat of Aston Villa, with Wayne Rooney on it that the player's spirit was still in the parent club Manchester United
The Premier League side came down in the second stage in Villa Park 3-1 after a brilliant display by Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital, which needed a special comeback in the night.
However, it was a nightmare start, with PSG racing in a 2-0 lead and a collection of four goals on aggregated-all for the hosts to fight their way back and to lead 3-2, who only need one goal to force extra time.
But try it as they could, the hosts could not force an extra half hour, where the French champions booked their place in the last four, awaiting the winner of Arsenal's collision with Real Madrid to find out their next opponents.
Despite a total defeat, Rashford did a strong performance, and his show caught the attention of former Liverpool and Chelsea Forward Sturridge.
“The story before he came was that he was not the same player. He has proven that everyone is wrong, “he said. 'There was a story that he is not the same player and Amorim was right, but he again showed everyone that this is who I am and how I play.
'Sometimes as a player it is up to you to show the manager, sometimes you don't get a love from a manager, so you go on loan or fight to get your place and do what the manager wants to do and he has chosen to get here and it worked.
“Sometimes things are going the other way and it goes really bad, but I am really proud that he came here and everyone has shown what he is all about.”
Rashford had fallen out of grace at Manchester United under Ruben Amorim and was sent on loan in January.
Since this is, however, his career is apparently reflected again, with a series of ever -increasing versions.
To date, he has six assists and three goals in 15 games for his loan club, and of course it has asked questions about whether he would immediately fit back with United, or perhaps decide that he is ready for a change of environment at the age of 27.
Ashley Young, who became a member of Sturridge on Prime Videos Reporting on the game, suggested that Rashford could want to move to a club like Villa and played in the Champions League under one of the most recorded coaches in the country.
The plane goal potter of United, Wayne Rooney,, however, was adamant that Rashford is only eyes eyes for Old Trafford, and that would not change quickly.
“Marcus Rashford wants to play for Manchester United, 100 percent,” said Rooney.
“He is a Manchester boy, Man United fan and it has been difficult in recent years. He had to play and it was clear that he would not play at United for the rest of the season.
“He has clearly demonstrated, sometimes you have to keep on pounding at the manager's door, placing them in a position where they cannot leave you in an ideal world, he would like to leave a legacy at United, whether that is possible, I don't know, but this is what I would like to see.”
It is impossible to deny that Villa is currently representing a more attractive project for a player, given their general upward mobility in recent years.
Although United largely stagnated and, in the case of the current campaign, at least continued to the table, Villa has been advanced in an impressive way under Emery.
Amorim has shown with Alejandro Garnacho that he is willing to bring players back from the cold when they apparently show the right work ethic, which means that the door is probably far from closed for Rashford, but it can be a big summer for him.
“I don't know what he is planning to do, every player wants to be on the field and his manager to have total conviction, he has previously been at United Playing Week out and full of life and since he came to Villa, we see that version again,” Sturridge said.
“He was not himself, but now he is again, he plays with confidence and enjoys it important. Whatever he chooses to do is to him.
“The future is in the hands of Man United, he is their player and he will have options if United does not want him, but as united I look at him and they have to work out a way to make it work.”
More to follow.