MARCUS RASHFORD says the Manchester United mantra of never giving up has helped him in his fight against child poverty.
The Red Devils striker has refused to let up since forcing the Government into a u-turn on free school meals being extended throughout the summer to the most vulnerable.
Marcus Rashford says Man Utd mantra of never giving up has helped him in his fight against child poverty
The Red Devils striker was inspired after watching his mother struggle during his childhood
Now he is pushing again for food packs and vouchers to support children especially during the pandemic which has closed schools.
And Rashford said: “Never giving up is something that when you are in United’s Academy, they give it to you from then.
“As someone who has been there from 5 or 6 years old, it is just kind of engrained into your personality, they way you are on and off the pitch really.
“It is just in whatever you do and if I am losing in something or something is not quite going right, I just want to keep going until I get better at it or start to win.
“I have been like that since I was a kid and it is from United where you grow that determination.”
Rashford has received a special Tribute Award from the Football Writers Association for his work with an award previously given to Wayne Rooney and Sir Bobby Charlton.
Rashford said: “As a kid, you want to follow in the footsteps of people that you see as your heroes.
“I know on my journey to the first team, it was all about doing the things which they had done, making the same steps to get into the position they were in.
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“I have been lucky enough to be able to experience that journey, to make my way into the first team like they did so to get this award and for them to have had it before me, it is an amazing feeling.”
Still Rashford assesses his work so far as being just the start of something bigger.
He said: “We are at the beginning of what I see as a long journey. I am definitely not at the stage of relief yet, I feel that there is a lot more which needs to be done and a lot more steps which need to be taken forward.
“On the positive side we have started to take a few steps in the right direction, but for me now just because we have done that is not about just sitting back now and being happy with what we have done.
“It is about what is next in the chapter of these children’s lives.”
There were special words from Sir Alex Ferguson on Rashford’s FWA award.
Ferguson said: “Apart from his football life, what he has achieved in the last few months is quite astonishing, how he has helped the people in need is a truly amazing achievement.
“I would like to congratulate him on that. He has shown to young people in particular there is a different way of dealing with life.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Wayne Rooney have both praised the starlet for his effortsCredit: Getty
“He has shown great humility, he has shown courage to do what he did, so this achievement is well deserved and should be recognised with what he has done.
“So Marcus, well done on a fantastic achievement.”
Wayne Rooney joined in too commenting: “The work he is doing is unbelievable to challenge the Government.
“It is a big issue, it is a tough time for everyone so for him to get that campaign up and running, the free meals for the children is massive and it has needed the backing of someone like Marcus Rashford to get behind that and make sure the kids know whatever happens, they won’t go hungry.
“It is incredible really and I think it is a huge achievement to him.
“As a player, he is a great player and has a real bright future.
“It is great to see him scoring more goals now and he will be a massive player for Manchester United and for England over the next 10 years.
“It is good to see him developing and I can see him being the next England Number 9 in a few years.”
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Boris Johnson says he’s spoken to Marcus Rashford about latest food parcel ‘scandal’ as it emerges parents have been told to bake own bread
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
