Marcus Rashford given bizarre nickname by new Barcelona teammates

Marcus Rashford has been given an unusual nickname by his new Barcelona teammates that's left him slightly confused.

Rashford, 27, has swapped Manchester United for the Catalan giants this summer, moving to Spain on a season-long loan after being frozen out at Old Trafford by Ruben Amorim.

The England international spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, scoring four goals and providing six assists in a promising spell in the Midlands.

And he now has the opportunity to fully revive his career in the unfamiliar environment of Spanish football.

Rashford had a bumpy start to life in Spain, with Barcelona initially unable to register him as a player in La Liga due to ongoing financial issues.

But the Catalan club were finally able to announce him as part of their senior squad on Saturday after club chiefs took emergency action to register several summer signings.

Rashford made his competitive bow off the bench as his side beat Mallorca 3-0 in their league opener, and he could make his full debut this coming Saturday when Hansi Flick's side travel to face Levante.

In an interview with Spanish publication SPORT, Rashford has opened up on his first few weeks with Barca and his decision to leave Manchester United after a difficult period with his boyhood club.

Rashford made his Barcelona debut against Mallorca (Image: Getty)

"Very good. Everything is new and very good. I'm still adapting, but yes, it's a beautiful city," Rashford said, reflecting on his first few weeks in Barcelona.

"My main reason is to win," he added. "And to be consistent I need to be happy, because that's how I play my best football."

When asked what happiness means to him, Rashford added: "It simply means that when you wake up you feel that excitement to start the day. It's a hard feeling to explain.

"But you know when you have it and when you don't."

Barcelona's nickname for Marcus Rashford

Rashford went on to reveal that he has already been given a nickname by his new teammates, although he admitted he isn't quite sure what it means as he still gets to grips with Spanish and Catalan.

"When they have fun with each other, they call me 'sweetie' ['chuche']. I don't know what it means, but it's funny that they talk to you like that," he said.

"They know I'm trying to learn Spanish. I think it's important for me to learn as soon as possible. So it's stimulating. You're always learning and that's good."

Rashford is hoping to make a fast start with the Catalan giants (Image: Getty)

Rashford admits he has found Catalan trickier than Spanish but has vowed to improve his language skills as he looks to fit in quickly at the Nou Camp.

"Catalan is difficult. I suppose that, while I am here, I will learn a little and I hope it will help me understand more the culture of Catalonia, which I also want to do," he said.

What has Hansi Flick said about Marcus Rashford?

Barcelona head coach Flick was critical of his players after their 3-0 win over Mallorca despite the dominant scoreline, but offered some sympathy for Rashford as he gets accustomed to his new team.

"I didn't like the game," Flick told reporters. "They're three important points, but I didn't like it. After a 2-0 deficit and two red cards," he said.

"I think the team played at 50 per cent, and I didn't like it. We can do better."

Flick added: "It wasn't a good part for Rashford, because there was no space. The players played at 50 per cent."

Rashford will hope to impress Flick when they face Levante on Saturday, with their next match coming against Rayo Vallecano a week on Sunday.