Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias has praised Marcus Rashford for his impact off the pitch in raising social issues ahead of Thursday's Europa League clash.
Betis face United at Old Trafford in the first of their two-legged last-16 tie on Thursday evening, having topped their group prior to the World Cup break. Erik ten Hag's side finished behind Real Sociedad and had to come through a playoff round, beating Barcelona 2-1 at home after a draw at Camp Nou.
Victory against La Liga's top side put United as favourites but a resolute Betis will be no easy task. Manuel Pellegrini's side drew 0-0 against Real Madrid on Sunday and are in with a fighting chance of a Champions League place. Much of their attacking success this season has come via Iglesias, whose 10 league goals are more than twice anyone else at the club.
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Similarly to Rashford, the 30-year-old is outspoken on issues off the pitch and is using his status as a professional footballer to make a social impact. And the Betis striker has praised his counterpart ahead of Thursday's clash.
“Rashford was young when I saw him back then against Celta [in 2017] but he already had the ability to make the difference and he’s even better now: big but skilful, he can run beyond you, score goals, create, play in a variety of ways," Iglesias told the Guardian. "Obviously, I admire him for the player he is, but also because of who he is: off the pitch he is an example, committed to social issues, bringing visibility, unafraid to express himself. It’s not a pose, and people see that.
“He has shown the power players can have, the responsibility to say: ‘Look, things are like this but we have an opportunity to leave things better.’ It’s important to be conscious of that. Sometimes it can be a headache, people don’t fancy it. But any problems it causes are minor compared with the positive impact. Others do act but more quietly, although that loses the visibility.
“Rashford does it in a very natural, organic way. And that’s how I feel about these things too.”
A trip to Old Trafford may be daunting for many, not least because United haven't been beaten there since the start of September. But Iglesias doesn't see a trip to Manchester as daunting and is looking forward to gracing such an iconic stadium.
“When the draw was made some of my teammates were like: ‘Ah no, [Manchester] United. It’s going to be tough,’” he added. “And I thought: ‘Yeah, sure, it’s tough, but playing at Old Trafford? How cool is that?!’”
“When we played PSV, I asked Ruud [van Nistelrooy] for a photo. I was so excited and my dad was a big fan. I talk to Pellegrini about him. And Manchester United represent my first memory of English football. [David] Beckham, [Eric] Cantona. They had a huge impact growing up. Going there is a gift.”
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