Marcus Rashford says it was a “great feeling” to score his first goals in claret and blue having helped send Aston Villa to the FA Cup semi-finals.
The on-loan forward picked the perfect moment to get off the mark for the club as he slotted home a 58th-minute opener against Preston North End.
And Player of the Match Rashford duly doubled his tally from the penalty spot just five minutes later, with Jacob Ramsey adding a third as Villa recorded a 3-0 victory in the quarter-final tie at Deepdale.
“It’s a great feeling,” he said, speaking post-match.
“I feel like I’ve slowly been getting fitter and playing better football since I’ve been here.
“So, it’s obviously nice for a forward to always get goals.
“Hopefully it continues.”
Asked how close he is to being back to his best, Rashford added: “Step by step I think I can still get fitter. I’ve missed a lot of football before joining up.
“At the minute my body feels good and I’m injury free and just enjoying my football.
“So, all good for now.”
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Villa, who last reached Wembley in the 2020 Carabao Cup final, will now compete in their first FA Cup semi-final for 10 years.
Crystal Palace stand in the way for a place in the prestigious final, with Unai Emery’s side also preparing for a UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain.
But Premier League matters are the next focus, with a crucial double-header against Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest coming up next week.
“I think we have to just take it one game at a time and just give 100 per cent on the pitch,” added Rashford.
“And we’ll see where it takes us.
“But I think we’re a very ambitious team, we want to win, we want to try and get as far as we can in all competitions and we also want to push to get back into the top four.”
