Marcus Rashford's promising beginnings at Aston Villa - despite not yet finding the net for his new club - have sparked hopes that he might reignite his dazzling form away from Manchester United . The Red Devils were roundly criticised for their decision two years ago to tie Rashford down with a lucrative deal until 2028 worth upwards of £300,000 a week. Following a career-high 30-goal haul under Erik ten Hag – one of the most impressive tallies for a European forward – Rashford struggled to carry forward his seemingly unstoppable momentum. He netted just 15 goals for United in the subsequent 18 months. While it looked like a poor move on paper, Rashford’s resurgence suggests that past management at United may not have been misguided after all. Letting Rashford leave so soon after securing such an expensive investment was seen as an ominous sign of his downward spiral at Old Trafford . Yet, United talisman Gary Pallister disputes any retrospective critiques that United erred in rewarding Rashford with a sizeable contract renewal in 2023. In an interview with Express Sport via Spaceport Sweden, he said: "A fully fit and firing Marcus Rashford gets into most teams in the Premier League . They were right to give him a new contract. We can argue about the size of the contract and the money that was paid, in hindsight. But at that time, how many goals did he score that year?" The former Man United star weighed in on the dramatic turn of events in Rashford's career at the theatre of dreams, commenting on the striker's stark shift in form. "His form was blistering, he was a regular in the England squad, and he was one of the finest strikers in the Premier League, I would suggest," said Pallister. "So nobody foresaw the dip in his form after that." Despite once ruling the pitch, Rashford's recent discontent in a United jersey led Pallister to agree with the mutual January split. The renowned defender hinted that Rashford's hefty contract could have sparked complacency, negatively impacting his Old Trafford tenure. "There is always a theory, and I've heard managers talk about it, that once you give a player a big contract, they kind of get into a comfortable space, and they maybe lose a bit of hunger," said Pallister, relaying his conversations with various managers concerned about football's financial influences. While acknowledging Rashford's resurgence at Villa Park, Pallister remains sceptical about whether the forward will don United's colours again, stating: "Whether he can come back to Manchester United or not remains to be seen." He elaborated further - pondering over Rashford's future: "Whether he's got the desire to come back to Manchester United, whether things would have to change at Manchester United for him to come back and be happy, or whether it's more deep-rooted than that, who knows? "We're all second-guessing. He's gone to Aston Villa and he's done alright. He's still not managed to secure a regular berth in the first team; he's mostly coming off the bench, but when he is, he's making an impact. "So I think every Manchester United fan would like to think Marcus can come back and be Marcus Rashford of old. But whether that's an actual possibility remains to be seen."