Marcus Rashford on Barcelona and Manchester United

Welcome to Barcelona. Almost 40 years ago, I came to this place to play there at the camp now.

Barcelona's manager Terry Venables has signed England's 25-year-old World Cup hero Gary Lineker.

And now Marcus Frashford is going to be the next Englishman to do so. I'm going to talk to him, but I thought I'd bring this fellow with me.

It's not Barcelona without big meats.

Hey dude.

Nice to see you man.

Marcus, lovely to see you here in Barcelona. Now I don't know whether you can remember and I've got a little bit of film. We filmed together about, I don't know whether you can remember, and I've got a little bit of film, we filmed together about, I don't know, it was four or five years ago. And you took me around the training ground at Manchester United.

And we talked, if you have a listen here,

I'll try and play it.

When I went to Barcelona, right, Barcelona. The great training ground in those days, it's like this now, obviously. See the line of that red bit there? And to here, in a, that, that was it. On the side of the stadium, that was it.

Like a patch.

Like a patch, and it was bright. And that's trained on every day, right by the side of the stadium.

It's like, it's crazy.

I won't bore you with all of it. But, now you're here. Now you're here, who would have thought it? We were talking about Barca on this training ground, now you're on the training ground. Not the one I was, which was right by the stadium. And it was a patch, a field. How is it? You settled in?

Yeah, it's obviously a new experience for me, but just enjoying it all. So yeah, it's exciting. He's looking lean, isn't he?

He's looking good!

I'm looking at the good,

I'm a little bit jealous, guess.

I'm not going to lie.

You're going to compete.

No, I'm not going to compete.

Talking when you just came through the door about how training's changed, because you were talking about how slim you are

and saying that it's slightly different here then? Yeah it's very intense but it's intense in a different way to English football. It's hard to explain because like pre-season it's been tough, it's been draining like I'm after training I'm tired and stuff. Obviously the weather plays a part as well but it's not tough in the aspect where in England you'd be doing like loads of hard running. It's more like mini games and possession blocks, it's less rest between each exercises.

More on the ball?

Yeah, more on the ball and it's more like constant training. So in that way, it's more difficult in terms of intensity, but it's easier because you're in rhythm more. It's definitely different, but I'm just looking forward to the season starting

because that's where I'll learn the most, playing against new teams on a more consistent...

Have you got any lingo?

Early days.

No, I'm trying. I've had a couple of lessons.

In Spanish?

El Español...

What's there in Barcelona? You don't know Barcelona? A map?

Three times a week for two years.

It's better to do it that way, though, isn't it?

It's better to do it that way though, isn't it? It's the only way.

You're not going to learn it just picking it up.

No, if you do that once a week.

Yeah.

Mark Hughes wasn't really having it.

He's got no concentration. He did two lessons and then gave up. To be fair, I'm going to get more consistent lessons and just try it that way because I tried a little bit on like duolingo and stuff but it didn't really help me.

It's tough, isn't it?

It didn't really help me. Like I done loads of lessons on that but then when I started my first like proper lesson, it was different.

I've been, had the experience myself of being here. And it was, I have to say also, it was much easier when I was here in the sense that practically nobody spoke English. So you kind of had to make do back then. Whereas now, even when I come back now, I speak Spanish pretty well, if I speak to people, they reply to me in English, which is bloody annoying because you just want the chance to practice.

But I think it's appreciated by the fans, if you can say a little bit.

Yeah, yeah, definitely.

And it's definitely appreciated perhaps in the dressing room as well. They go, oh, he's...

Well, for me as well, it's just part of the experience of being there. So even if I didn't have to, I'd still wanna try and learn at least the basics anyway.

I tried Italian terribly.

Thank you.

Honestly, my Italian. I thought you sounded fluent? I was there for just one year and I had lessons and everything, but like the teacher was laughing at me. So what are teachers, what are you supposed to do when the teacher's laughing at me?

I'm trying my hardest. And after like two, three weeks, I thought, no, this is not good.

The problem was she was laughing at you

while you were playing.

Yeah, true. I'm not saying. I'm not saying. But it was just amazing to have a different experience, you know, like going into a new dressing room, obviously for you being at Man United for so long, then just going in and you just trying to find your way. It's like a new kid at school.

You know what, honestly, I thought it'd be a bit more like daunting, but it's pretty much seamless. I think when you go over something in your head and you visualize that being somewhere, like you just take everything as it goes really.

And it was similar to when I first went to Villa as well. Like you don't really know what to expect, but because it's something that you're looking forward to, it's not like a worry, it's more just like an excitement.

Can I ask you, was you nervous though? Cause when I went to Fiorentina, I was really nervous. I was pretending like I was fine.

I was nervous as well.

Way back.

Yeah, way back.

Yeah.

I don't know if it's like nerves or if it's just like excitement. Like when I think of even stuff that I'm going to find difficult, it's more of a challenge and exciting than it is scary. So I wouldn't say it's like nerve wracking, but yeah, there is like a party that's like,

you know, like butterflies in the stomach and stuff like that. But like I said, it's, for me, that's like positive stuff. All the positive things that have happened in my career, I have that feeling anyways. It's almost like when you don't have it,

you're a bit comfortable. Do you think the little spell at Villa helped you to bridge the gap to make a bigger step coming here?

Yeah, I reckon so.

Because you've been in Manchester for a while.

Yeah, for so long. Yeah, and it's like, no matter where you go from being in a certain place for so long, it's a change. But I feel like the timing of me going to Villa was like, like now looking back, it was the exact time for me to do something like that.

So I feel like the response and the reaction I got from, you know, the people at the club and like the fans, it was probably what I needed on a personal level, like in that moment. But it's crazy, because like six months on,

like I feel like everything's completely different. But without having that right period in the middle, maybe I won't be feeling how I'm feeling now. So yeah, I feel like just everything that happened at Villa bar, the injury at the end was exactly how it was supposed to be.

It's good club Villa, isn't it?

No, a hundred percent. And I was speaking to my brothers about it and like I remember Villa got relegated from the Prem and since then

I think he was playing for them.

Look at you!

Look at Wanker!

That was all my doing that was...

No because you just knock him across the 6-yard box now

and keep popping him.

No but yeah so since then the club's been on the up. So when I first went there, the atmosphere at the club's like all positive. And it was just exactly what I needed in that period.

What's the language of the dressing room up here in Barcelona? I just wondered whether it... because it used to be Spanish. Because people used to say, oh, do you speak Catalan or Spanish?

No, it's still Spanish. Obviously, a lot of the young lads speak Catalan. But the easy thing for me is a lot of the lads understand English. So like on the pitch, it's just about me picking up on the basics, which I've done quite quickly to be fair.

A lot of them would speak English as well.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And then there's good people that are like a bridge. So like Frankie speaks really good English, Jules speaks really good English, and these guys have been here for a few years now, so they speak good Spanish. On the pitch, it's honestly easier than what I thought it'd be,

but also like football itself is just a language. I know a lot of people say it, but if you understand each other on the pitch, it's easy to communicate. You get the general vibe on the pitch. I've not really had any problems in that way.

I think it's normal when you go to a club, and particularly in the early days when we've moved around, you normally kind of find a friend. Who's your friend?

To be fair, all of the lads are like, maybe it's because they're all very young.

But do you feel like the old man here? Well, you do though.

Because you have to think like 27, 28. There's more players under 20, under 21 than there is past 28. So it's like

in your whole career you're probably directly in the middle but in this team you're one of the experienced lads.

What are they like, these young guys? I mean, they're so good.

Honestly, it's so like refreshing to be playing with them. But yeah, it's just every day, they're full of energy and you know, it keeps you having energy as well. So, no, it's good. Like they're all really talented, but the thing that surprised me the most is like how much all they all are, like on the pitch, they play the game at like their own tempo.

It's...

So it's like better decision making?

It's just the way that they're developed. It's different. Like in England, you're developed to always show your skill set. Whereas sometimes in football, as you know, as you get older, it's not, there's a time and a place to show your skill set. So for example, if your skill set's dribbling, there's a time and a place to be dribbling on the pitch.

Whereas in England and in the academies, like if you're good at dribbling, they just tell you to dribble. Yeah, so that's one of the first things that I've realized. And it's like, you look at someone like Pedri, I think he's 22 or 23, and it's like he's actually really, really young,

but he's just got that much experience already playing at one of the biggest clubs in the world and playing in some of the biggest games.

Where have you been playing in the pre-season games? We're doing this just before the start of the season, it's coming up the week.

No, just a bit of everywhere really. But I've always enjoyed doing that, especially when you play with so many passes in the team. It's like playing on the right wing when you've got so many passes in the midfield and in the back line, it's different.

Cause playing on the right wing is probably my most, more difficult position out of the three. But yeah, once you can just assess spaces and that's kind of the main thing that I'm trying to adapt to now because I think the way people defend here is obviously different to in England. So you see spaces in England because in England you have to find the spaces so quickly

because of the tempo and the rhythm of the game. And I can imagine it's similar here, but if you do find the spaces quickly, you can really hurt teams. And you see that when you play against teams in Europe, but like anywhere, when you play against teams consistently in a league format, it's gonna be different.

So it's just adjusting to that as quickly as possible. But it's gonna be exciting. You know as possible. But it's going to be exciting. I'm looking forward to this new sort of atmosphere and new genre of football. So it'll be good.

OK, Atras, Atras, Atras, Pedrata, Ahora, Para, Para, Para, Migueli!

Bien!

Ah, you shi...

Oh.

Oh.

Sorry.

He was such a great coach.

Don't gamble. Take the initial run. But once you've took it and the ball doesn't come in, let it go and join the others. Mark, Gary, you shouldn't be offside there. You look right along the line. Oh, he's telling porkies.

Do you remember I told you about the catch

on the side of the pitch?

Yeah, that's next to the stadium.

That was the training ground all season.

Yeah.

What's your favourite position? My favourite position's off the left, but then it does change throughout.

I know, because I've heard you say

you were happy playing up front, but you liedened left. Yeah, it also just depends who you're playing with, how consistently other people play in the position that you receive the ball from as well. So it's difficult to like pin down one position, but honestly, I've been like this since a kid.

It's been hard for me to like, because I'll say it, I used to love the right wing when I was younger, but then I learned as I got like maybe to 13, 14, drifting inside, because I'm always controlling the ball on my left. When I'm coming in off the right-hand side

and now you're controlling off your right, it's more different when I'm trying to accelerate. So it's more natural for me to control on my left and accelerate with my right foot. I can do it more swiftly in one movement. So then I moved over to the left and then I love playing on the left, but then you miss scoring goals.

And then when you are in the middle, you miss touching the ball. So it's just like, you need that, like for me, when I'm at my best, I'm having that freedom to exploit the back line. For me, from the left is the easiest position

for me to do the rotation, because on the left, I find it more natural to play off the centre-half shoulders and the full-back shoulders than I do on the right. But it's all just, it depends game to game.

Well, football's never...

Yeah, it's never the same. But then some games I'll be on the left and even if I have a good game, I'll be seeing what's happening on the right and I'll be like, oh, I wish I'm helping the team and trying to find ways to have an influence on the game, then I'll be happy.

You'll certainly be playing attacking football, that's for sure.

Yeah, 100%.

Anti-Swift's way of playing. High line.

Massive high line and you'll be playing in the opposition.

Yeah, but it's perfect for the skill sets of the team. There's too much ability to be spending too much of the game in your own half. So, you know, to play the high line, which honestly, in the first couple of weeks I've been at, how good they are at the high line is like everyone looks like they're only just offside, but they're so confident in the system and for them to only be doing it for one year and be that good already is really positive.

So it's good, but honestly, I'm still learning it, which I probably will be for a while. But listen, it's attacking football, and that's what I want to be playing.

You seem like you're really happy with life and the way you play. It must be really exciting.

Yeah, yeah.

Looking forward to the start of the season.

Honestly, it's just refreshing. We see how good they were last year, but the motivation and the determination to just improve. And we know it's going to be tough to have a year like they did last year, winning that many trophies. But that's the aim and that's the objective. So that was one of the first things I noticed my first couple of days here. Everyone's pretty much forgotten about last year

and it's about what we can do this year now. So it's the perfect environment to go and be successful.

We're going to have to wait two minutes more. It's going to take the pressure off.

Right place.

We're just talking about it.

We'll leave you two strikers to it. What are your aims this season?

It's just to win. You know, I want to have, obviously, a good individual season, but like anyone will tell you, if you have to choose between that and winning, you pick winning. So, yeah, so if I aim to win, the chances are I'm gonna have a good individual season

as well.

It's gonna be tough getting into this team.

No, for sure. But this is part of the challenge, you know, and, you know, if I wasn't confident that, you know, I could do it, then I wouldn't have wanted to come here. So I think just settling in and, you know, giving a hundred percent and keep the mindset of learning. Because I think like when you come to like a new,

a new country, a new brand of football, it's easy to think like whatever we was doing in England is the right way to play football, but things are different here. So I'm enjoying like learning this and the players are helping me learn,

learn, you know, the new brand of football.

One criticism from me in your game is I feel like you can be more selfish.

Yeah. Because you get into great areas, then you always want to pass.

I'm like, all the other players in Topper World Football are shooting.

No, for sure. But it's just, that's how I enjoy football. I've been like this since a kid. Like, don't get me wrong, I love scoring goals and stuff. But, so like, this is why I probably can't consistently be a number nine, because like, it's not natural for me to do that.

So if I am doing that, I feel like I'm forcing it. And I know that I'm missing other pictures of the game, that if I was just playing freely, I'd be seeing these pictures. So there's a lot of times where I don't shoot because I feel like the chance of it being blocked

and missing a chance for the team rather than just for me, is pretty high, but then also the strike of him is like, if I can get it through his legs, if I can get my shot off through his legs, there's a high chance of it going in. Yeah, so it's like finding the balance,

but you know, in this generation to consistently play number nine, you have to be selfish because you know, you're required now to score, you know, 40 goals a season. So you need to be shooting more frequently. It's like, I don't put too much pressure

on the goal scoring side, because I just know, like, I'm confident that if I'm doing the right things, I'll create chances for others and I'll be in the position to have shots and score gold.

Yeah, just to elaborate on that though, because I think we're now in an era where everyone talks about goals and assists. So when you were at Aston Villa, I was raving about you, and we did an FA Cup game, didn't we?

And I was saying, it's the best I've probably seen him play, playing for Villa. But at the end of it, then people say, well, he only scored that amount of goals.

Do you know what I mean? But they're not looking, I look at the full game.

People now are just looking at the stats. It's because you've played though.

Of course, yes.

So like, I'm a winner at the end of the day and I want to win. So if the team's won, I can do that in more of like a seamless way. And that's the way I've always, it's not just in sports, that's the way I learn. Like if I put too much pressure on myself to like,

oh, you need to score goals, you need to shoot. I ain't gonna, I'm not gonna, you know, play well.

Yeah. Have you always been like that?

Perhaps now too childhood and where this talent came from. Yeah, so I was a goalkeeper at first actually.

Was you? No way.

Yeah, but I got bored in that.

We must be talking what?

At Fletcher Moss. So my first year was in that, but then I think I remember like my brother was telling me I was moaning like everyone's always having fun, like scoring goals and stuff.

So I wanted to go outfield. I'm always going to be a player that enjoys the intricate things that people might not speak about all the time in football, but like creating space. And people always say like, oh, just running behind, just running behind. But sometimes running behind, it's like the run's not on.

So like forwards know it. No, we know it, but like sometimes midfielders, they don't know it. They just say running behind. Sometimes the timing and the space, it doesn't connect. So there's no point running behind because it doesn't affect the back line. That's my, that's what I want to do from a run.

If your timing's off and if there's no eye contact between the person on the ball and me, the centre-halves can see all that. This is why a striker is the most difficult position on the pitch because your backs...

Hold on, hold on!

It is though because your back's to goal and the defenders can see everything you're looking at but we can't see everything the defenders are looking at.

Hold on, hold on. This is why... You could have a rubbish game, rubbish game. And he was a master at that rubbish game.

And then gets a tap in. And then he's a hero! How many mind games have you watched? Well... How do you know you're a rubbish game?

No, I understand that aspect, but when I go back into midfield, the game's easier because you can see everything. Everything's there, forward. So for someone like me, I don't like to pass backwards. So when you want to go forward as often as possible,

you need to be on the half turn all the time, but sometimes you can't, you don't have the time to be on the half turn. So now you need to know your surroundings, scanning all the time, know when to bounce, know when you can turn, and ultimately you need to be in the right areas to score and assist goals.

I might have to stay for the Clasico, Patrick.

That's not quite...

120,000 people back there.

120?

120,000, yeah.

All home fans. Two goals in the first five minutes.

Yeah?

I was buzzing.

That'll do, Patrick. I'm going there. I'd like you to experience that, it's quite a tasty thing.

Yeah, I hope so.

Does criticism from numptees like this... Because I used to get this sort of stuff. Because there's a certain understanding that you need to have to play in forward positions, whether it's wide or, as you said, in the nine position. And you're clearly a very thoughtful guy. We all know that, many things that you've done, not just on the pitch, but off the pitch as well. Have you always been like deeply thoughtful about not just the game, but life?

Yeah, it's just like attention to detail. So it doesn't even matter like what I'm doing. It's like if I'm invested in it, I need to try and do it to what I see as like the best, like the best way for me to do it. I think I've just been like that since, since a kid, since before I can remember. And it's just like, you know,

like my family always say like, or if they call me like a perfectionist, because like if someone challenges me to do something, I don't just want to do it in a way that everyone deems as like, oh, he's won and that's a good way to do it. Like if it's not right in the way that I've planned it or thought about it, it's like, I'll keep redoing stuff.

Do you know how good you are though? I was gonna ask that question. Honestly, in terms of, off the field, forget off the field for a moment, on the field, you don't understand, I don't think you understand how good you are.

I just think it's like, and I always have something to prove to myself.

So it's...

You're hard on yourself.

Yeah, I'm more hard on myself than anyone can be harsh on me. So it's like, when you touched on that criticism before, I ignore a lot of people, but it's not like a defence mechanism. It's just like, I have my own version and my own image of what I deem to be good.

So like...

When things are not going really well for you and you've had a career that's kind of like everybody's career, when you're off the down, hard place, dry, a tough season here, last season here at Barcelona, do you get down a bit?

Yeah, I think...

Is it quite difficult?

It's not necessarily like being upset. It's frustrating, but the be all and end all is if it leads to trophies, everything gets put aside. So your individual career is nothing without this team version. And that's also a part of football that I love.

Do you think sometimes you get unfairly criticized because of who you are and what you've done, not necessarily on the page, but I always thought, because you know I'm a massive supporter of what you did. I mean, I think pretty much everyone is,

it's incredible what you did. You shifted government policy and all that sort of stuff. It was remarkable. Always my fear was that the minute he has a bad spell, they'll blame that. Obviously I'm saying this, because I'd feel it a little bit,

but I think sometimes the criticism for you, you might go on a night out. You might go out in an outfit, a certain outfit, and that will be criticised. I don't think that will be criticised if that was a white player.

Like, I honestly think it's not because

people don't want to highlight it. I just think people don't care anymore. I just don't think you can change those people's opinions anyway. It's more about going forward and sort of changing the opinions of the youth. You know, I've suffered it when I was coming through, but nothing changes. People will always say what they want to say.

Yeah.

You'll notice it's different here.

Yeah, 100%.

And I've spoken to some of the... people always say what they want to say. You'll notice it's different here. Yeah, yeah, 100%.

And I've spoken to some of the-

You will, and that's what I've said. In terms of the football, they'll be incredibly critical. If you're not performing on the pitch, they won't bother about your life off the pitch. You know, they won't. They'll respect your life off the pitch.

Even when you walk around. They will be very focused. In this city alone, in Barcelona, you've got two daily newspapers that only cover Barcelona Football Club pretty much. El Mundo Deportivo and El Sport. Esport, they say. And they do everything. I remember with Terry Venables, it wasn't very well one day, and the front page headline,

because I had to fill the newspaper every day, was Venables has diarrhoea. But we used to go out. We used to go out all the time. And they won't, as long as you're performing on the pitch, and even then, they won't blame it on something else,

like that we perhaps do in our country a little bit too much. The media do, I don't think the general public. I think most general public have a massive amount of respect for footballers. But I think you really enjoy that.

A couple of times I've been for meals and stuff. It's been nice. It's been refreshing.

For my nephew, who is a big fan of yours.

Marcos, how do I pronounce your name in Spanish?

Marcos, Marcos, Marcos, with love. and it's just a little bit different, but not a lot. You've got an old environmental change, you know, living in a hotel, moving house, not sure what's gonna happen,

and then the difficulty of the language.

And this is where they put us. It's not like this place you're in, the hotel.

Hello.

That's the room.

Hello.

Hello.

Bientí minutos.

That's it. Okay. Ridiculous. Fluent. That's a good lie. That was the first week. What about England?

I mean, there's obviously a World Cup coming up next summer.

You're at Barcelona, one of the biggest clubs in the world and one of the best teams at present in the world. You want to get back in the...

Yeah, yeah, 100%. This current group of English players is extremely talented. You know, it's going to be disappointing if we don't manage to, you know, do something really special because I think we've come on a lot. And for the last few years, it's been just the next step is for us to go and win.

England have been very, very close. They're knocking on the door.

Yeah, we're right there. But you can see with a lot of the teams that are winning stuff currently, they've also had this period. But no matter how many times people say, oh, we were this close, that close, like the important thing is getting over the line. It's definitely an exciting, exciting period. Obviously, you know, there's a new coach there in Thomas.

How do you get on with him? Yeah, he's a top coach, good guy. I think being an international coach is quite difficult, especially from someone who's used to spending lots of time with players. People don't understand how short of a time you have to prepare for these major competitions. It's only four camps, five camps in the year, 10 days a piece. So, you know, 40 odd days together to try and win a World Cup.

It's not a lot, but he's a coach that pays huge attention to detail. And, you know, you can see that. I've seen that straight away from the first couple of training sessions with him. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to what he'll bring to the team.

And being here, I suppose, you suppose, if you perform well at Barcelona, it puts you in a really good position.

Yeah, for sure. Honestly, I try not to put too much pressure on the England set-up. It's clearly something that I want to do, but you don't get that without putting in the hard work just day in, day out and showing that hard work on the pitch. So that's a, you know, a knock-on effect to the stuff that I'll be doing day in day out.

I think what's clouded a few people's visions is because you don't speak that much.

I'm honestly fine with people having their opinion on me regardless. You know, I'm doing the thing that I love to do every day. I can't, I don't want anything else. I think it was usage that said something actually. Like your discipline is more important than your motivation because sometimes you wake up and you're not motivated. It's the discipline that keeps you in check

to get yourself out of bed, go to training on time and you know, work when you don't necessarily want to work. You know, study the game, study your opponents when you might be tired or you might have a headache or you might be ill. But these are the things that people don't really pick up on.

It's hard for the general public to understand what goes into making a top-class professional.

I don't expect the general public to understand that. Like some of my friends that are in other sports, like I'm a huge fan of like boxing. I don't have a clue what it takes to become a professional boxer. Like I like to watch and watch them train,

watch them compete, but like I can't start voicing my opinion out to the public on what I think this person needs to do because he lost his last fight. Like who am I to, I don't know what it takes. I'm more like lenient towards the public having their opinion because they're not to know. Whereas like when it's like ex-players

that know the game and like then I just, I get confused about it.

Why do you think that is though, ex-players?

I don't know.

Why do you think they are? I don't know. All I know is like... He's got Marley Shura here. LAUGHTER

That's why they get the invite!

LAUGHTER

No, for me, all I know is like, when I come to retire, I ain't going to be doing that. Like, it's as simple as I don't want to put players down. I want to, if anything, lift players, because ultimately that brings... They're going to play better on the pitch.

So it's like, at the end of the day, we all love watching like exciting stuff on the pitch.

I think you'd make a really good pundit. No, no, I'm not joking. I mean, you talk very intelligently about the game, about the positions, about the different roles that you have to play as a forward. You can go into it. I don't think I've upset too many players.

You're a host.

That's why.

That's the question.

I'll let you be a host.

No, we'll see.

What about the managers that you've played for? I mean, it's also not that easy when they're turned over as regular as they've been at Manchester United. Because it's hard, you suddenly change and then it's a different one. Who have been the most influential on you?

Influential, I'd probably say Van Gaal, Joel Zane and Oli. Yeah, they're different but because of what you just mentioned, you've had so many different managers, it's so hard to like... It's impossible for me to compare the managers. But when you're a developing player, like at a young age, you learn stuff that you've never...

No one's ever taught you that before. So like, up until Jose, I'd never had a manager that was so fixated on winning before Jose.

Van Gaal wasn't fixated.

He was fixated on winning, but he wanted to play a beautiful style of football. Jose don't care? Do you know what I mean? As long as you win, of course, if you could choose, he'd want you to play well. But if you win, you win.

You move on to the next game. And he had this attitude. And in the beginning, it was angry all the time. Like we've not played well today, we've won, but because we've won and he's a manager that he's just a winner.

He doesn't bring up the points that you know was missing from that last game because we've won. But when we lose, he brings up the points then. But after like six months, I like just learned to like respect it. And then I started to reap the rewards

from him as a coach.

I mean, all of the ways he's talking about different systems, because obviously I like the tactical side of the game as well, but just like how he's created different things in his head for different managers

and when he's talking about the movement. Because obviously at Barcelona, you're going to play a high line. So if you win the ball back within three seconds, you're pretty much on goal. Sometimes at United,

and we don't need to speak about United, but just in terms of their style of play, at times they would be so deep. When you got the ball,

you have to take on three or four players? Show me a successful team that just adapts. When Fergie was in charge, not only the principles for the first team, the whole academy set up so you could pick players from 15 years and over, that's a full generation. And they'd all understand the principles of playing the Man United way.

So you see it with any team that's been successful over a period of time, they have principles that any coach that comes in, any player that comes in has to align to these principles or be able to add to these principles. Whereas like at times I feel like United have just been,

we're hungry to win, so we'll always try to, you know, to adapt and to sign players that fit this system. But like, it's reactionary. If your direction's always changing, you can't expect to be able to win the league. Yeah, you might win some cup tournaments,

but it's because you do have a good culture, you do have good players, and you have match winners in your team. You're not there by accident. Like, this is what some people forget. So yeah, we've been way below where we deem United to be.

But then if you take a step back, which I've been able to do, especially over the last six months, what do you expect? People say we've been in a transition for years. To be in a transition, you have to start the transition.

So it's like the actual transition has not started yet. So like when Liverpool went through this,

they got Klopp, they stuck with him. They didn't win in the beginning.

Do you know what I mean? People only remember his final few years when he was, you know, competing with City and winning the biggest trophies. He certainly didn't win for three years, he had a really tough time. So it's like to start a transition you have to make a plan and stick to it. So this is the thing that I feel...

It's not easy to do though is it?

It's not easy to do.

It's not going well, the fans demand...

Yeah, yeah, I understand. I stick with what your situation is. I feel like we've had that many different managers and different ideas and different strategies in order to win. You end up in the middle of, like you end up in no man's land.

So-

Does it hurt you? Yeah, 100%. But not only as a player,

just as I'm a United fan.

Looking ahead now, you're here for a loan, obviously a loan spell, but would you, I mean, I presume you'd like to be successful here, win trophies, stay here for a few years?

Yeah, yeah, for sure. You know, what I deem as success is growth. So if you think about it, they're a team that's like, you know, a few years before they found themselves in a tricky spot, but they stuck to what their roots, do you know what I mean? Their principles are, yeah, it might be a slightly different brand of Barcelona in terms of like there's so many young players in the same setup, but this is what it is. And they found a way for that to be one of the driving forces of a really successful team.

So if I can bring like my own attributes and skill sets into a winning setup, I honestly think it's going to be a really positive year.

So I have to say it's lovely to have an Englishman playing at Barcelona.

No, it's been a long time. Since you.

What year was it?

1923. It's 86 to 89. Just 36 years ago.

Why do you think it's been so long?

I don't know. There was one guy that played one game a few years ago. His name was also Marcus. You're not even the first Marcus to play for Barcelona. And he played just a few minutes of a super cup game when everyone was out injured and stuff but I don't know why it is because Real Madrid have had seven Englishmen. Can you name them?

Owen, David Beckham, Beckham, Owen, two, McManaman, three, Woodgate, four, Jude, Beckham, five, Owen Beckham, Trent, Trent, one more. The first one I'll give you a clue it's way back, what a Trent, one more. The first one, I'll give you a clue, it's way back. What a footballer he was. How long we talking? We're talking, I think 70s, late 70s, early 80s. I've got no idea. Oh, was it... He was one of three players at West Brom. Yes! Don't tell me. Cunningham. Cunningham! Yeah!

He did that!

Marcus's brother is kicked in the back with Laurie Cunningham.

He was there!

I know what it's like.

I've been waiting a long time for another English player to play. I really hope you're incredibly successful. First game is Mallorca away.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Let's get to the, can we get tickets now? Are we like, are we like, are we like, based now? You know, I'm just like, we can swap numbers and I'm one of the besties.

Yeah.

Well, can I give you one word of advice before you play away at Mallorca? Don't do what I did with Mark Hughes. We played Mallorca away in the second game. We'd won the first game 2-0, scored both. And we went to play Mallorca away, it was 0-0 and Terry Venables was the manager of Barcelona then and he said you go out for a couple of drinks, be sensible. We weren't very sensible. And the bus was leaving for the airport I think it's about 7 a.m. the next morning and we could have stumbled onto the bus and Terry Bonner was just sat on the front

row and he just went... So don't do that. We went to Magaluf. I mean you do, don't you?

But you were a good pro. Huh?

You wasn't a good pro back then.

I was a good pro except for that night. No, but generally I was a good pro, but Mark Hughes is a very bad example.

He led me astray. He led me astray.

So I wish you all the very best. Yeah, no, it's going to be good. It will be. And thank you so much for your time.

No problem.

It's great to be here to see you.

Nice to see you.

And see you in such good spirits.

Yeah, of course.

I look forward to watching you play in the Barrao Grana.

Yeah.

15 goals I want.

15?

25?

No, 15 goals. That's all I'm asking.

It's like Barca. Marc Urrach for the second, for Rafinha!

Goal, goal, goal, goal, goal! Goal, goal, goal, goal, goal!

This is some beauty, isn't it? What's the name of the stadium, then? It's just... there's like an extra tier. I've never been in a stadium then, what is that?

It's just come, there's like an extra tier.

Oh, putting another tier on there.

Yeah.

I haven't been yet.

You've been out yet? Yeah. Alright, cheers guys. Thank you so much. Appreciate it, nice to see you. Appreciate your time.

Good to see you all. Good to see you all. All the best.