BARCELONA: Marcus Rashford assured Barcelona fans that he “can play better” after scoring in a 3-1 win over Elche.
The 28-year-old England striker left his comfort zone when he moved from Manchester United last summer after falling out of favour at Old Trafford.
Last season, he was loaned to Aston Villa and showed impressive performances before being hit by injury.
However, United manager Ruben Amorim still did not retain him, paving the way for Rashford to join Lamine Yamal and his new teammates in Catalunya.
Among Rashford’s sweet moments with Barca were his two goals against Newcastle in the Champions League, but the Spanish media continued to question his overall contribution.
His recent goal against Elche took his tally to six goals and seven assists in 14 appearances.
Although satisfied with his performance so far, Rashford admits there is still room for improvement.
“I tried to give my best. I could have played better against Elche and I promise to keep improving, but overall I’m happy with my performance,” Rashford said.
Rashford also stressed the victory was important after the defeat to Real Madrid in El Clasico the previous week.
“It’s a very important win. After losing, the most important thing is to win the next game. I believe if I do the right things on the pitch with the team, I will always be able to score goals and create chances.
“My goal is to connect and keep up with my teammates, and I think we’re at that level now.
“We have to keep playing as a team. This is Barcelona, so the demands are always high. It’s true, we have a lot of injured players, but that’s part of football.
“The same eleven players will not win every match. We must remain united and have a fighting spirit,” he said.
Rashford previously admitted that it was difficult to adapt to the Spanish style of football, but the adaptation process is still ongoing.
Former Barca player Lluis Carreras commented that Rashford needs to play with more confidence.
“It’s hard to explain, he has some problems. He plays in a position that requires experimentation and creativity, not just receiving the ball and passing it back. He needs to be sharper in those situations,” said Carreras.