Dr. Marcus Rashford MBE is in the office today

Manchester United forward continues to impress on and off the pitch

by Brendan Smith, Sports O’Clock Writing Team Member

Rashford (right) celebrates with teammate Bruno Fernandes (left) during a match against RB Leipzig (photo credits: Goal.com)

Marcus Rashford has been a massive bright spot amidst a world filled with darkness. Rashford has battled Parliament to provide free meals to underprivileged children whose families have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government decided against extending free school meals through the Easter holiday, Rashford has started a petition to reverse the decision and has received over a million signatures. Additionally, he has gotten several soccer players and local businesses to donate meals in the absence of government support. In recognition of his work, Rashford received an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester and was honored by the Queen with an MBE during the 2020 Birthday Honors. Oh, and by the way, he is a darn good soccer player too: against RB Leipzig in Matchweek 2, he came on as a sub for 16 minutes and scored a hat trick to help Manchester United win 5-0. Phenomenal.

In a world with so much divisiveness, Rashford has used his platform as a soccer player to spark change and help those who are less fortunate. He has even convinced his most bitter rivals to join the battle as well: Leeds United have donated to his campaign, Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil has promised to provide meals, and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hailed Rashford’s work as “absolutely incredible.” Seeing Rashford unite the English soccer community is really a sight to behold, and it is exactly what the world needs to see right now as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.

Rashford has his detractors, of course, that say he should “stick to football.” Why should he? Rashford is blessed to be one of Manchester United’s best players, and he has every right to make a positive difference in his country. If anything, more soccer players should follow his lead and assist those who need the extra support. It is likely that many children in the UK would be going to bed hungry if Rashford never started his fantastic endeavor.

Thank you, Marcus, for being not just a great soccer player, but a great human being as well. 2020 has been a rough year for almost everybody, but your resilience has given a lot of people hope that not everything is as bleak as it seems. GGMU.

(All photos are cited properly. No copyright infringement intended.)