Marcus Rashford of Manchester United lives the life of a professional football player, owning a massive property in one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the city.
However, his opulent lifestyle is a far cry from his difficult beginnings; in spite of his mother’s best efforts, they frequently went without enough money to put food on the table.
Since securing a spot on the United and England squads, he has collaborated with the FareShare to provide three million meals to people who would have otherwise received them at school.
Nevertheless, Rashford hasn’t given up and is now endorsing companies who promise to feed children for free—something the government has been unable to accomplish.
Growing up in Wythenshawe, Manchester, Rashford went to a primary school where the proportion of students receiving free meals is double that of the national average. His mother Mel was a single mother of five children living in the same home. Even with her full-time job, she wasn’t making enough money.
In an interview regarding the campaign, when asked if he had any childhood memories of hunger, Rashford responded, “Yes, of course.” He did, however, add that he was never upset about it because he knew his mother was doing the best she could. “I also understood, maybe it was just part of me growing up,” he went on. “All I knew was how hard my mother worked. I would never complain or take action. Food was present on the table if it was present. If not, I might be able to get some food by going to my friends’ house because they were understanding of my predicament.”
In an interview with BBC Breakfast, he talked about his early years and said, “It has a great importance for me personally because I once had to go through that same system that families are going through now. It’s quite challenging to escape. Given my current circumstances, it is imperative that I assist those who are in need.”
My mother tried her hardest. I recall that we used to plan out the week to visit a store called Poundworld. One yogurt per day was allowed, and we would receive seven.
She did the best she could within the circumstances, but there are some families out there that have four or five kids, so it’s literally impossible to take control of the situation.
Even though the program was intended for youngsters 12 years of age and older, his life drastically altered when he was accepted into United’s youth academy at the age of 11. Melanie, aware that the club included catered housing and a new school, got in touch with the organizers and requested if he might join early.
“The programme that I started at 11 years old, you’re supposed to start it at 12 years old,” Rashford stated in an interview with the BBC. “It basically gives you accommodation closer to the training facilities and a new school and she worked that hard to push it forward because she knew that was a step I needed to take.”
“I needed to be near my teammates, my new school, and my new school pals. I also needed to be consuming the correct foods as I grew. She made that decision when I was 11 years old and United allowed it.”
I ended up going to the others at a younger age because I wаnted to get out of the predicament we were in and help my mother with hers.
“So there is always a big element of sacrifice to get to the top level and that’s the one we had to make.”
According to Rashford’s former youth club coach, the rising star has always been really grounded. “Marcus comes from a lovely family,” he told the Sun. “He is such a sweet little boy—so quiet, so modest, so meek. He is not the kind of guy you find Jack-the-lad. His brother Dwain will give him a slаp-down if he ever begins acting more confidently than he should.”