Thomas Tuchel 'tells Marcus Rashford his England role' ahead of Man Utd outcast's loan transfer to Aston Villa

Per The Sun, new England boss Thomas Tuchel has reportedly met Rashford and his representatives and conveyed the message that the national team doors will be open for the out-of-favour Manchester United star, provided he performs consistently at Aston Villa. Fabrizio Romano reported on Saturday that the forward is edging closer to a loan move to Villa Park, which will include a £40m ($49.5m/€48.8m) buy option.

On Tuchel's meeting with Rashford, a source told The Sun: "Tuchel told Marcus and his representatives he saw Marcus as an essential part of the England squad going forward."

Since making his debut for his country in 2016, the 27-year-old has earned 60 international caps, scoring 17 goals. After being an integral part of the England squad in the 2022 World Cup, Rashford was left out of the Three Lions roster for the 2024 European Championship due to his poor form in the 2023-24 campaign for the Red Devils.

Rashford will aim to feature for Unai Emery's side regularly after completing his loan move, to impress Tuchel and make a comeback to the national team ahead of their upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Albania and Latvia in March.