Ben Pawlowski
MARCUS Rashford has become the latest British football star to move to Spain after the 27-year-old completed a season-long loan move to Catalan giants Barcelona.
The winger follows in the footsteps of England teammates Jude Bellingham, Conor Gallagher and Trent Alexander-Arnold as the latest example of prestigious British talent opting to swap the dreary greyness of Blighty for the sweltering Spanish sunshine.
But while Bellingham and Alexander-Arnold signed for Real Madrid – former home to a long list of Brits including Laurie Cunningham, Michael Owen, Gareth Bale and the legendary David Beckham – Rashford has joined arch rivals Barcelona.
In doing so, he becomes the first men’s England international to sign for the club since prolific striker, Match of the Day host and crisp magnate Gary Lineker in 1986.
Rashford joins the La Liga winners from boyhood club Manchester United, having fallen out of favour with boss Ruben Amorim.
He hasn’t played for the side since last December, and spent the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan with Aston Villa before informing the club he wanted to leave earlier this summer.
Instead of joining up with the Manchester United squad for pre-season, Rashford headed to the Costa del Sol to make use of Marbella’s state-of-the-art sport facilities.
Last month, the forward posted a series of photos of himself sweating away as he worked to get back in shape.
Rashford was officially unveiled at a hastily-arranged presentation ceremony at Barcelona’s training ground yesterday after training with his new teammates for the first time.
“I’m very excited,” the Englishman said. “It’s a club where people’s dreams come true, they win big prizes.
“What the club stands for means a lot for me. I feel like I’m at home and a big factor in my choice to come here is because it is a family place and a good place for good players to showcase their skills.
“Another factor is because the conversations I had with [Hansi Flick] were positive. What he did last season was terrific. To lead such a young team to a very successful season and come back to pre-season and still want to do more, it shows me everything I thought I knew about the club and it’s everything I wish.
“There are a lot of young players who play football that’s so mature but in the dressing room they are still kids. That’s good for the dressing room. For me, the most impressive thing, the moment I arrived, [was to see that] they are fully focused on the next season, to improve from last season.
“I’m eager to learn the Barcelona way,” he added.
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Barcelona have agreed to cover the entirety of Rashford’s wages during the loan spell, cutting an estimated €17 million off United’s wage bill over the next twelve months.
They also have an option to sign the England international on a permanent basis for €35 million next summer.
During his presentation, Rashford referred to disciplinary issues that had mired his past few seasons at United.
He said: “It’s one thing to say you are motivated and determined but these are things that can change. Really the thing that I bring back to my life, not just the sport, is the discipline. The discipline is something that stays regardless of whether you wake up and don’t feel like it.”
Rashford has been handed the No.14 jersey, famously worn by Thierry Henry after the French superstar moved to Catalunya from Arsenal.
But he may find it difficult to break into the starting XI after Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and 18-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal led the line last season as the club cruised to the La Liga title.
Rashford will travel with his new team-mates to Japan today ahead of a pre-season tour of Asia where the England star, who has played 62 times for the national team, will look to impress coach Hansi Flick.
Born in Manchester, Rashford made his debut for his boyhood club in 2016 and went on to score 138 goals in 426 matches.
In 2021, Rashford was awarded an MBE for his attempts to eradicate child food poverty in the UK.
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