Man Utd outcast Marcus Rashford sends grateful message after ending forced exile from football by making Aston Villa debut

Rashford had not played officially since the second week of December after being exiled from Manchester United by boss Ruben Amorim due to issues with the England forward's attitude. As such, the 27-year-old looked for exit avenues and joined Aston Villa on loan on deadline day in the winter transfer window.

Rashford made his first official appearance on a football field after 64 days as he made his debut for Unai Emery's Aston Villa in their FA Cup fourth-round clash against Tottenham Hotspur. The 27-year-old came on as a 66th-minute substitute as the Villains led by two goals and went on to win 2-1 despite Mathys Tel's late goal. Rashford has now sent a grateful message to fans for their 'warm welcome'.

On Instagram, Rashford posted photos from his debut and wrote: "Thank you for the warm welcome. Great team performance."

The Manchester United loanee could well make his full debut for Aston Villa when they take on Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Saturday, February 15.