Smiles better: John McGinn explains why Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford are loving life at Aston Villa
The attacking duo have been rejuvenated since joining Villa on loan for the rest of the season and McGinn believes there is even more to come from both during the run-in.
Asensio has quickly become a fan favourite, scoring seven goals in just eight appearances to match his total tally in one-and-a-half seasons at Paris Saint-Germain.
Four of those goals have been set-up by Rashford, whose performances for Villa have seen him win an England recall under new boss Thomas Tuchel.
The 27-year-old had been frozen out at Manchester United under Ruben Amorim and he joined Villa late in the window after a desired move to Barcelona failed to materialise.
McGinn explained how both Asensio and Rashford had quickly integrated into Unai Emery’s squad and are now playing “with smiles on their faces”.
He explained: “They maybe lost their way for certain reasons, but what they’ll get from us is love and support and team-mates that will graft for them.
“We want them to be happy again. Every day you see them, they’ve got a smile on their face.
“That’s when you know footballers are happy and at their best. Marcus played his best game for Villa in the second half (against Brugge). He was a constant threat. If we can get those two firing, it’s two players that every team in the country would have.”
Rashford had received criticism for his work-rate during his final performances for United, yet his work off the ball for Villa was referenced by Tuchel when explaining why he had decided to bring the forward back into the Three Lions fold.
He and Asensio had been starved of game time before moving to Villa and the belief at Bodymoor Heath is that both are yet to hit full fitness, creating excitement for the impact the pair could have over the closing weeks of the season as Emery’s men target glory on three fronts.
Asensio, who was not called up by Spain, is among the group of first-team players currently away on a warm weather training camp in Dubai.
The 29-year-old has started only three matches in all competitions for Villa, with his last three goals all coming off as a substitute.
McGinn said: “He can’t miss at the minute, it’s brilliant.
“He just seems to be in the right position. In another couple of games he was close to bagging some more. When we see him in full flow, I’m sure it’ll be a joy to have him in the team.”
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