Inside Rashford's reunion with childhood sweetheart Lucia Loi after years

If you thought Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck had an on-off relationship, wait until you dive into the topsy-turvy tale of Marcus Rashford and his childhood sweetheart, Lucia Loi.

The pair's love story has had more twists and turns than Nemesis Inferno.

Last month, it was reported by The Sun that the Manchester United exile had rekindled with his former flame after completing his dream move to Spanish giants Barcelona.

After Ruben Amorim cast Rashford out last season, leaving him in United's so-called 'Bomb Squad' following a brief spell at Aston Villa, the 27-year-old decided to make a significant life change by packing his bags and moving to Catalonia.

The winger will spend a year, at the very least, away from his family and friends in Manchester as he takes on a new challenge in Barcelona, one that has felt overdue after the lengthy demise of his career at boyhood club United.

Rashford claimed that it feels 'like I'm at home' when he was unveiled by the LaLiga champions in July; however, reports have suggested that it is not quite the case when it comes to life away from the pitch.

It is believed that he reached out to his ex-fiancee, Lucia, to ask if she could help him settle into his new life in Spain, as she would provide a calming influence that he feels he needs during this period of change in his life.

The duo are said to have reunited during a photoshoot before he was warmly welcomed into the Barcelona family with an official presentation on 23 July, which was attended by his family and the press.

The news of their rekindled romance comes two years after the pair announced they had split, just one year after getting engaged.

The pair met at Ashton on Mersey school in Greater Manchester, where they were both pupils, and started dating when they were just 15 years old, while Rashford was flourishing in Man United's academy.

Lucia was Rashford's rock during his rise to stardom, with the relationship blossoming while he burst onto the footballing scene in February 2016 with a brace in back-to-back games against FC Midtjylland and Arsenal.

As Rashford went from strength to strength at United, becoming undroppable during the early years of his senior career, so did their relationship. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a halt, things started to change.

After eight years of being together, the pair parted ways in 2021 as the world was still feeling the effects of lockdown.

The breakdown of the relationship had a serious effect on Rashford's performances on the pitch. Having had a stellar season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer prior to the break-up, notching up 39 goal involvements during the 2020-21 campaign, his output dropped significantly.

During the 2021-22 season, Rashford only played a hand in seven goals. He was injured for sections of that campaign; however, a contributing factor for the reduction in his minutes was his form. The winger had gone from being one of the first names on the teamsheet to watching games from the bench in double quick time.

That didn't last, though. Everything changed for the better again when Rashford resurrected his relationship with Lucia in January 2022, and as a couple, they seemed stronger than ever.

Just five months later, Rashford proposed to his childhood sweetheart with a £250,000 engagement ring while on a post-season getaway in California.

Reports at the time suggested that Rashford had been planning the proposal for weeks and popped the question to Lucia at a lavish villa after they shared a romantic meal at celebrity seafood restaurant Catch LA.

Coincidentally, during the season directly after Rashford got engaged, Rashford was on fire on the pitch. The forward notched up 30 goals during Erik ten Hag's first campaign at the helm, a number he had never previously managed.

His goals helped United win the Carabao Cup, while also securing a rather respectable third-place finish in the Premier League.

Rashford seemed like he was living the perfect life both on and off the pitch.

However, it all came crashing down after only 13 months, with the couple calling it quits after a decade together. It was a mutual decision as the pair cited that 'the relationship ran its course'.

The announcement came at a time when the now Barca star has since been spotted partying with a number of girls on a night out in Miami, Florida, and was seen returning with one of the group to his hotel at 5am in pictures obtained by The Sun.  It was then revealed that the couple had split months before it was made public.

A source told Daily Mail of the split: 'Marcus and Lucia haven't been together for a number of months. It's nothing complicated; the relationship ran its course and they remain very close friends, and have a lot of mutual respect for one another.'

'Marcus is laser-focused on the next phase of his football career and is putting all of his focus into that. He is about to come back to the UK after a successful trip coaching kids in Miami, and heads to England's training camp this week.'

Rashford was then romantically linked to Love Island contestant Grace Jackson, who is now loved up with fellow reality star Luca Bish - whom she met on the All-Stars version of the show - but their rumours fizzled out before the end of 2023.

And by coincidence, once again, when Lucia was no longer Rashford's partner in crime, his performances dipped dramatically.

The winger went from banging in goals left, right, and centre at Old Trafford as Ten Hag's main man to enduring a dry spell so bad that he lost his spot in the Red Devils' first XI, again. In the 2023-24 campaign, he only netted eight goals in all competitions.

Nevertheless, off the pitch, even when the footballer was no longer with Lucia romantically, he still had her there for support. It is understood that they remained friends even when their engagement came to an end.

The bond never fizzled out. It's believed that they always stayed in touch, rebuilding their connection over time.

And now the rebuild is seemingly complete; they are an item once more. It is reported that Lucia joined Rashford in Barcelona, taking the forward's photo and then checking his outfit before he posed beside a traditional red phone box for his announcement video.

Reports claim that those closest to Rashford say that Lucia has a huge impact on Rashford's happiness.

According to Tribuna.com, he feels most 'focused and grounded' with Lucia by his side; she calms him when times her tough and has a positive impact on his life.

So, the fact that they are back together spells good news for Barcelona fans. Based on the periods of his career when he has been with Lucia, they can expect the England winger to find the back of the net with relative regularity.