With Ruben Amorim now a thing of the past for Manchester United, some players in the squad might feel it’s time to celebrate.

Kobbie Mainoo comes to mind first. The promising young midfielder had been sidelined under the previous Portuguese manager, but now has a shot at reclaiming his spot in the starting lineup under interim manager Michael Carrick.

Other academy prospects might also be feeling optimistic, as Amorim was sometimes seen as less supportive of United’s tradition of elevating young talent to the senior team.

However, there’s one player who finds himself torn between two sides.

After being sidelined by Amorim just weeks after the former Sporting Lisbon manager took the reins at Old Trafford, Marcus Rashford made the surprising decision to leave his lifelong club last January.

Marcus Rashford has been looking like a man reborn since his loan move to Barcelona

The Manchester United star has rediscovered fine form on the pitch in his new Catalan home

Rashford’s first venture away from Manchester since joining the academy at age seven took him to Aston Villa, where he found a resurgence in form under the guidance of Unai Emery.

But a far bigger challenge came this summer, when Rashford made the seismic move to take a season-long loan at Catalan big beasts Barcelona where, as the player stated during his unveiling, ‘peoples’ dreams come true’. 

While it might have taken a little time for Rashford to get his season off on the right note, with seven goals and a further 11 assists to his name in his 27 outings under Hansi Flick to date, the stats make a persuasive case for Rashford’s earlier statement ringing true.

He has also now added the Spanish Super Cup winners’ medal to his collection, after coming on as a substitute in Barca’s 3-2 victory over El Clasico rivals Real Madrid on Sunday evening.

‘It’s been amazing,’ Rashford said of his move in December in an interview with the BBC. ‘I feel welcome, I feel at home.  I’ve just been enjoying every step of the way.’ 

One thing is for certain: compared the nightmarish atmosphere around recent seasons at Man United, replete with managerial falling-outs and speculation about his public partygoing, his time in Barcelona does appear to have a dream-like quality. 

Initially greeted with a stay at the five-star Gran Melia Torre Melina, where a President one-bed suite can cost up to £3,233 per night, Rashford has since put down roots in the city after moving into an apartment in the upmarket district of Esplugues de Llobregat. 

Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Colleserola mountains, the commune on the outskirts of the city has played host to scores of Barcelona icons, including Gerard Pique, and Andre Iniesta. 

After first staying at a luxurious Gran Melia hotel Rashford has now put down roots in Catalonia

The 28-year-old has also been enjoying Mediterranean food and the opportunity to fish 

Rashford claimed his first winners’ medal with Barca after winning the Spanish Super Cup

One of his newest neighbours is team-mate Lamine Yamal, who is believed to have purchased Pique’s mansion in the area that the former star shared with Colombia pop superstar Shakira before their acrimonious divorce. 

The plush surroundings allow for time spent pursuing new hobbies when Rashford takes time off from training, including padel and fishing, and indulging in delicious Mediterranean cuisine local to region such as Spanish jamon and fresh seafood. 

‘I’d probably say paella is my favourite,’ he added in his BBC interview.  

Rashford has also been able to relocate his dog, a Cane Corso called Saint, and has shared pictures of friends and family staying at his new pad, deepening the feeling of homeliness he appears to have established in Catalonia. 

Another important person seemingly back by his side in Barcelona? His girlfriend Lucia Loi, who was previously engaged to Rashford before they are thought to have split for the second time in June 2023. 

Initially spotted in Barcelona to support Rashford during his unveiling, Loi and Rashford appear to have rekindled their relationship, with the pair spotted on an outing with team-mate Roony Bardghji to watch Barcelona’s basketball team play Baskonia in December. 

Loi also seemed to make an appearance in a sweet post showing Rashford decorating his Christmas tree with a friend – although her face was not shown. 

No wonder Barcelona has become his ‘happy place’ as a recent Instagram caption described his return to the pitch. He has bonded with his team-mates, and even started learning Spanish. 

Rashford may be feeling even more at home following the relocation of his Cane Corso, Saint

The forward also appears to have reconnected with his former fiancee Lucia Loi, with the pair taking in a basketball game in December

‘Learning the language and stuff like that, learning the culture, it’s all enjoyable for me,’ he continued. ‘It’s something I wanted to do for a long time and this is the perfect opportunity. 

‘I’m understanding more now, and the speaking side of it, it’s more just confidence to do it in front of a group.’

Feeling at home in his new environment has allowed Rashford to reconnect with one of the most important aspects of his life off the pitch, his philanthropy. 

The child poverty activist was a frequent fixture at Man United community days, and in December undertook his first similar project for Barcelona. 

The 28-year-old chatted to children, played with them in the playground, and shared copies of his children’s books.  

Rashford will certainly have fond memories of the time he spent with interim manager Carrick at Old Trafford. 

While breaking through in the United squad, the winger played with Carrick 48 times and was part of the Europa League-winning squad with him under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho.

‘I have seen some debuts but none quite like that. It’s an unbelievable start for him,’ Carrick said after Rashford’s blistering first game for the club, in which he scored twice against FC Mitjylland.

They also shared the pitch together in their victorious 2016 FA Cup final as well as the Community Shield they won later that year. The pair both claimed League Cup winners medals in 2017.

Rashford also played in all three of Carrick’s caretaker matches in 2021, after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked for the club. United beat Villareal and Arsenal and drew away to Chelsea during that time.

The England international took the opportunity to take part in a community project for his club

This is the sort of atmosphere that Man United will be looking to foster for the remainder of the season, a world away from the charged and at times divided dressing room of Amorim or his predecessor Erik ten Hag. 

As such, there will be some fans hopeful that by driving out Amorim, Rashford might be tempted into a return to English soil – although reports this week suggest that Barcelona are keen to trigger a £26m option to make his move permanent. 

But perhaps the most telling admission came in the caption of an Instagram photo he shared on his birthday. 

‘Chapter 28,’ he wrote. ‘The Resurrection’. 

If Rashford has reached the end of a long journey to feel reborn on a football pitch, it feels unlikely that he would be looking to slide all the way back to the start.