Football Espana
·19 August 2025
Marcus Rashford reveals Barcelona’s most underrated player

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Yahoo sportsFootball Espana
·19 August 2025
The last week has seen Marcus Rashford take on media duties for the first time since arriving at Barcelona on loan from Manchester United. After delving deep on the cultural differences between English and Spanish football, Rashford has now given the lowdown on some of his teammates.
Speaking in an interview with Sport, Rashford named Gavi the joker of the dressing room, and Jules Kounde the best-dressed. Having explained that United would do well to look at Liverpool to rebuild their side, he also named Virgil van Dijk as the toughest defender he has faced.
Meanwhile he confirmed that he would give the Ballon d’Or to one of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha or Ousmane Dembele, and that Barcelona and he were aiming to win all of the titles available to them this season.
MALLORCA, SPAIN – AUGUST 16: Pablo Torre of RCD Mallorca and Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona competes for the ball during the LaLiga EA Sports match between RCD Mallorca and FC Barcelona at Estadio de Son Moix on August 16, 2025 in Mallorca, Spain. (Image via Rafa Babot/Getty Images)
“Yes, he’s the most talented player I’ve ever played with for his age. I haven’t played with or seen anyone with the impact he has on the game. Maybe Ronaldo Nazario, ‘The Phenomenon’. To have that influence on the pitch at such a young age and so consistently is incredible. He has a long career ahead of him, and I hope he maintains his level and even improves.”
Rashford has been full of praise for Pedri since he arrived, and explained that the 22-year-old played the game at his own pace.
“If you didn’t know his age, you’d think he was 28 or 29 because he’s very mature and understands the game perfectly. He plays at his own pace, and that makes it easy for strikers to keep up with him.”
Image via Marca
When asked to name the most underrated player, Rashford opted for midfield partner Frenkie de Jong. The Dutchman has in the past been picked out as one of the best players in training by other teammates.
“It’s difficult, everyone is very good. But for what he does for the team, I think Frenkie.”
Rashford has now been at Barcelona for the past month, and working under Hansi Flick, it is clear the German manager has made a big impression on him.
“He’s a very direct coach. That’s important, especially with so many young players on the team, where the direction needs to be clear. His motivation is very high to do better than last season. That’s the key to believing the team will be successful. He’s a special coach who knows how to work with special players. I’m excited.”
The England international made his debut for Barcelona on Saturday against RCD Mallorca, as the Blaugrana cruised to a 3-0 win. Coming off the bench, Rashford had few opportunities to get on the ball or to show his quality, but did make a couple of promising runs.