Marcus Rashford's behaviour makes immediate impression after Man United 'misunderstanding'

Marcus Rashford's behaviour makes immediate impression after Man United 'misunderstanding'

Barcelona defender Jules Kounde has spoken about his first impressions of Marcus Rashford after the forward's loan move from Manchester United

Marcus Rashford has made an instant impression on one of his Barcelona team-mates (Image: Paul Miller/Getty Images)

Marcus Rashford’s new Barcelona team-mates have already honed in on a character trait that the forward felt was misunderstood during his time at Manchester United.

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Rashford sealed a season-long loan move to the Catalan giants, who have an option to make the deal permanent. The 27-year-old made more than 400 appearances and won five trophies with United before deciding that his future lay away from his boyhood club.

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Having spent time at Aston Villa last season, Rashford is relishing the opportunity to make an impact at Barcelona. However, his new team-mate Jules Kounde has already noticed that Rashford is slightly more reserved than other players in the dressing room.

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"He's a bit introverted, but he's really enjoying himself, and feeling more and more comfortable,” Kounde said of Rashford to Diario Sport. “I think he is happy. He is smiling a lot. He is happy in the field.

“He reminds me a little of myself. He's a bit introverted, but he's enjoying himself a lot, and I think he's feeling more and more comfortable. Everyone has welcomed him very warmly. He's talking to everyone.

“I think he's very comfortable. As I speak English, I'm trying to help him as best I can, but I think everyone is doing that.”

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Kounde’s comments reflect what Rashford told journalist Henry Winter last December about his character sometimes being misinterpreted: “I do feel misunderstood, but I’m fine with it. I’m a very simple person. I love football. That’s been my life from the beginning.”

Rashford made his Barcelona debut against Vissel Kobe on Sunday (Image: Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)

That was not the first time Rashford had reflected on how others perceive him. The England international described himself as an introvert when discussing how he had overcome difficult times during his United career.

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“If I’m honest honest, a part of me doesn't mind it when people doubt me,” Rashford wrote for The Players’ Tribune in February 2024. “When everyone is telling me they love me, I get suspicious. I know the way the world works. I had to become a man really young. Always had to rely on myself.

“Whenever I’ve been in my darkest of places, and it feels like half the world is against me, I tend to go off by myself for a couple days and reset, and then I’m fine. I think it goes back to me as a kid dribbling all over the street on my own until it was so dark that I couldn’t see the ball anymore and I could hear my mum shouting for me to come home.

“That’s just me being an introvert, needing my space to reset. Other times, when that hasn’t worked, I’ve found someone to talk to.

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Rashford admitted to feeling his personality was misunderstood at times during his Manchester United career (Image: Stephen White - CameraSport via Getty Images)

“Sometimes that’s the way to do it. But every single time I’ve been down, physically or mentally, I always feel like that’s when I turn it around and play my best football for United and England.”

Rashford made his first appearance for Barcelona against Japanese side Vissel Kobe last week, featuring for 33 minutes from the bench before being substituted. The United loanee also replaced Raphinha at half-time in Barcelona’s 7-3 win over FC Seoul on Thursday, providing an assist for the final goal scored by ex-Manchester City forward Ferran Torres.

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In his presentation as a Barcelona player, Rashford spoke about his time at Old Trafford: “The situation with United is the club is in a period of change and they have been for a while," he said. "So I don't have anything bad to say about Manchester United. It's been an important part of not only my career but my life. I'm grateful for the opportunity to play for them.

"Football is the same as life. Not everything goes as simple as you may have thought. This is my next step and next chapter. I'm fully focused on this and trying to improve myself and help the team win trophies."

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