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Manchester United and England starlet Marcus Rashford has recently been unjustifiably criticized for his endorsements in a feature story by The Spectator.
The story hinted at an ulterior motive behind the player's philanthropic work, claiming that Rashford has benefited from it commercially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Invalidating all of Rashford's magnanimous charity work did not sit well with supporters of the superstar. To clarify his side of things, the 23-year-old winger took to Twitter to defend himself against the said allegations and wrote:
"Just heard @spectator are planning to run a story on me tomorrow about how I have benefitted commercially in the last 18 months... To clarify, I don’t need to partner with brands. I partner because I want to progress the work I do off the pitch and most of any fee I would receive contributes to that."
Marcus Rashford is one of English football’s most high-profile stars. However, off the pitch, Rashford has been an influential figure to the nation by being a compassionate humanitarian.
Rashford has used his global reach to question the England government on several occasions during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has used his voice and has raised support to ensure schoolchildren are given access to meals while they are away from school.
Many families in the country have benefitted from Rashford's various charitable aids. The Manchester United star has also ensured that children have access to books to read by launching a book club for underprivileged youngsters.
"Last summer, 1.3M children had access to food support through my relationship with Burberry. Children have a safe place to be after school where they will be fed. Following the November investment vulnerable children have safe places to go this summer holiday, and due to my relationship with Macmillan 80,000 children now have a book to call their own," tweeted Rashford.
Last year, Rashford's repeated efforts forced the government to extend free school meals throughout the half-term and Christmas holidays.
"Do I have a larger commercial appeal following the U-turns? I’m sure. But I’m also a Manchester United and England international footballer. Why has there always got to be a motive? Why can’t we just do the right thing?" continued Rashford.
Rashford's efforts were acknowledged and he was honored for his invaluable contribution to society. He became a recipient of the Member of the Order of the British Empire for his various initiatives and campaigns during the pandemic.
Marcus Rashford's current situation
Marcus Rashford is currently dealing with a prolonged shoulder injury which he carried throughout the Euro campaign. It is unclear at this point if the Manchester United player needs to go under the knife to treat his ailment.
Rashford was amongst the three English players to miss a penalty in the decisive shootout loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final. As a result, he along with Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were subject to inexcusable racist abuse on social media. A mural of Rashford in Manchester was also defaced.
In response, the community in the city worked together tirelessly to leave messages of support and encouragement for Rashford. The mural was repainted soon after and the overpouring of support for the young player, who expressed his gratitude to the fans who didn't let hate prevail.
