Marcus Rashford made a brief appearance in Aston Villa’s 2-1 FA Cup victory over Tottenham on Sunday, marking his first appearance in 59 days.
A week after securing a loan transfer from Manchester United till the rest of the season, Rashford made his Villa debut.
After publicly stating his intention to seek a “new challenge” and after a falling out with the United boss, the 27-year-old had been banished by Ruben Amorim since December.
After coming on as a substitute in the 65th minute of Sunday’s match, Rashford touched the ball 22 times, thrilling the crowd with each touch.
Rashford sent his new fans a nine-word greeting on Instagram following the game.
Rashford wrote, “Thank you for the warm welcome,” alongside five pictures from the game, two of which showed young supporters holding up homemade placards with his name on them. Excellent teamwork.
With their win on Sunday, Villa advanced to the FA Cup’s round of 16 for the first time in ten years.
They’ll be hoping to win the tournament and make it all the way, which Rashford did twice with United.
Rashford has a deal with Old Trafford that expires in June 2028.
For a transfer cost of almost £40 million, Villa will have the chance to sign him permanently in the summer.
Before moving to Villa Park, Rashford made 426 professional appearances for United, scoring 138 goals.
Next Saturday, when Unai Emery’s team hosts Ipswich Town in the Premier League, he will be looking to score his first goal for Villa.
Eight points and five spots ahead of United, Villa is now ranked seventh in the Premier League.