Marcus Rashford has given Jadon Sancho the blueprint to revive his career at Aston Villa
Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford’s careers have followed similar trajectories in the last couple of years, including both leaving Manchester United to join Aston Villa on loan.
The criticism of Sancho has been rife following his big-money transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Old Trafford.
Jamie Carragher went as far as to claim that he has done ‘nothing’ for United since the move.
In a bid to turn his career around, Sancho linked up with Aston Villa this summer, but his stint in the Midlands has got off to a slow start, and he once again cut a frustrated figure at the weekend.
Jadon Sancho substitution explained by Unai Emery
Villa beat Manchester City 1-0 on Sunday, with the Manchester United loanee featuring from the bench.
Emiliano Buendia was forced off after 29 minutes, with Sancho called upon to replace the injured Argentine.
However, Emery then opted to hook the winger, who looked annoyed and snubbed his manager when he was taken off after 74 minutes of action.
As per the MEN, the Spaniard explained his decision post-match. He said: “Yes, sure he’s not happy, but I did it before with Morgan Rogers, with Emiliano Buendia, with Leon Bailey, and he played 60 minutes on Thursday.
“I told him as well, he can feel it, it’s embarrassing. Before Morgan, Emiliano Buendia and Leon Bailey, they felt the same when I subbed them, but it was not a punishment. And now it’s not a punishment.”
It’s obviously not an ideal situation for Sancho, who has only played 226 minutes of football across all competitions for Villa this season.
But he is not the first Man Utd winger to endure a difficult spell after failing to perform at Old Trafford.
Rashford has been on a similar path but is now thriving on loan at FC Barcelona.
Jadon Sancho needs to copy Marcus Rashford
The reason for Rashford’s return to form has been made clear, and it’s something Sancho can easily emulate.
Firstly, being away from the spotlight at Manchester United should ease the pressure on any player.
But most importantly, Rashford’s attitude has changed dramatically this season, and it’s reflected in his performances on the pitch.
Back in 2024, Erik ten Hag said: “He [Rashford] has to set his life right, his training attitude right, he has to set his match attitude right. When he sets his professionalism he will perform because he’s a class player.”
Just over a year later, word coming out of Barcelona is that Rashford now has the ‘perfect attitude’.
It’s no coincidence that the 27-year-old is shining in Spain, already scoring five and assisting seven in 13.
If Sancho wants to follow suit and get back to the player we all saw at Dortmund, the goal is simple.
He must adopt a positive attitude, even in difficult moments like on Sunday when he was taken off and was visibly unhappy.
It won’t be an overnight fix, but Rashford has shown just how impactful a change of view can be for a player.
Gabby Agbonlahor has previously compared the two Man Utd loanees for how inconsistent they were. But less than two months later, one is now in top form for one of the biggest teams in Europe.
