This was a very big day for Rashford, who arrived at Villa Park in February with a storied past but so much to prove.

For, while Villa may not have won the FA Cup for nearly 70 years, he has managed it twice, including last season – and lost a couple of finals – with Manchester United.

There is no doubt Rashford has looked a different, more enthused and engaged player since starting to work with Unai Emery, his return to the England fold alone proves that.

Yet that elusive first goal had not come in his previous nine appearances for Villa, which gave his many critics the ammunition to back up their argument Rashford’s best days are behind him.

For 14 games up to kick-off, he had drawn a blank, in the red of United, the claret and blue of Villa and white of England. His last goals, evidently, came before Ruben Amorim decided he was better off without the 27-year-old.

Emery is no fool. The idea a man with his reputation, whose side are gearing up to face Paris St-Germain in the Champions League and retain hope of qualifying for next season’s competition through their Premier League position, would stick with a player on reputation alone is laughable.

The Villa boss gave Rashford free-kick duties at Deepdale. His first effort went straight to Cornell. The second, from over 30 yards, didn’t look like threatening even before it struck a team-mate and bounced tamely wide.

In the opening stages of the second period, as Villa broke dangerously following a rare spell of Preston pressure, the ball broke kindly for Rashford in a central position inside the penalty area. But Cornell was out quickly to smother and that opportunity disappeared too.

Rashford though has plenty of self-belief. And when Digne found space on the left, which he did too often for Preston to stand any chance of a shock victory, the striker expertly found the bottom corner. Though he had to wait for VAR to confirm Villa’s penalty, he wasn’t put off by that inconvenience either and after a stuttering, slow run-up, applied the cool finish.

In between, he should have had an assist but somehow, Boubacar Kamara and Rogers both failed to apply a successful finish to the trickery that he created the chance by splitting Preston’s defence apart.

When he was substituted nine minutes from time, Rashford was afforded a sustained ovation from the visiting supporters, who are fully on board with what he is bringing to their team.