Newcastle United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has revealed how a kind gesture from Marcus Rashford shaped his opinion of the Manchester United academy graduate, ahead of their Champions League meeting on Tuesday night. The two England internationals are set to face off as Barcelona visit St James' Park for the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Ramsdale, who is expected to retain his place in goal due to an injury to Nick Pope, previously spoke about the 'humility' shown by Rashford. The striker scored a brace when the two sides met in the group stages, and Ramsdale recalled a conversation they had after a Premier League match in December 2020, when Rashford netted twice in a 3-2 win over Sheffield United.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Post in early 2021, Ramsdale said: 'With the game against Man United in December, me and Marcus had a conversation at the end and spoke about my family and his and what he is doing for the country. To be honest, me and Marcus do not know each other too well, so for him to ask about my mum and dad was a lovely gesture and one you can take something from even though he is an opponent – and he scored two past me.'
Ramsdale and Rashford were both included in the England squad for the European Championships the following summer, where the Three Lions reached the final before losing to Italy on penalties. Since then, Ramsdale has had spells at Arsenal and Southampton before joining Newcastle on loan, while Rashford moved to Aston Villa on loan in January and then to Barcelona in the summer, with a permanent move expected.
