Manchester United midfielder Youri Tielemans has defended Marcus Rashford's commitment to the club and praised teammate Kobbie Mainoo. Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, Tielemans addressed criticism of Rashford's dedication and shared his observations from their time together at Aston Villa.
Tielemans on Rashford's Commitment
Tielemans, who played alongside Rashford during the winger's loan at Villa in the second half of the 2024/25 season, said: "He's got amazing qualities. And I mean, his touch, his acceleration, his finishing, you know, his qualities on the ball. But then I think what surprised me most with him was his commitment."
He added: "You know, there was such a big thing made out of him that he wasn't committed or wasn't in it for the right reasons or whatever. And you see the player coming in and it's completely opposite from what you hear. He was committed. He was doing the work. He was positive with everyone. You know, he was just a normal guy, you know."
Tielemans also highlighted Rashford's performance in the PSG double leg, saying: "And you can see in that PSG double leg how good he was and how he added at the time to the team. And yeah, we nearly got over the line against PSG and then won it. So, yeah, we were very happy with him."
Rashford's Reintegration at United
Rashford's future at Old Trafford had been in doubt after being loaned to Villa and Barcelona. Barcelona opted not to make the move permanent, and Rashford has since reintegrated with Michael Carrick's squad. Tielemans believes Rashford needs support to thrive: "I think he needs us. That's it. I think he just needs support behind him. And he would always create something. So it's something that, as a player, you want in your team. You want that type of player in your team that can create at any moment."
He continued: "He can dribble past one, two, three players and then lay off for someone that can score. So to have him fit and ready to go with us would be great."
Praise for Kobbie Mainoo
Tielemans also spoke highly of Mainoo, who had a frustrating summer after not appearing in England's World Cup campaign. Tielemans said: "From playing against him, I think he's got great strength on the ball. He can hold the ball forever."
He added: "His technical qualities, he can receive the ball, turn. I think maybe an area from what I've seen that he can improve is making the right choice, the right weight of pass, you know, to play forward. And like I said, that's that process. You know, he's still so young. He will learn so much throughout his career. And I hope I can help him to learn all of those things. But yeah, if he can add that, then the sky's the limit, you know."
