Early Reader Edition: Marcus Rashford - Football Hero

Marcus Rashford is a famous football player from England. He plays for Manchester United and the England team. Marcus is no only a great footballer — he is also a hero for helping children who don’t have enough food.

Growing Up

Marcus was born on 31 October 1997 in Manchester, England. His family comes from the island of Saint Kitts in the Caribbean.

Marcus grew up in a big family with his mum, Melanie, and his four brothers and sisters. His mum worked very hard, sometimes at three jobs, to make sure her children had food to eat. Sometimes she even went without food herself so that they didn’t have to.

Marcus says that his childhood made him strong. He said,

“When you come from a place of struggle, it gives you drive and motivation.”

Playing Football

Marcus loved football from a young age. He started playing when he was five years old, first as a goalkeeper for a small local team.

When he was seven, he joined Manchester United. Sometimes he missed training because his mum was working and couldn’t take him, but soon the club helped him and made sure he could follow his dream.

Helping Hungry Children

When the UK went into lockdown in 2020, Marcus wanted to help families who were struggling to buy food. He started working with a charity called FareShare, which gives food to people who need it.

Thanks to Marcus and FareShare:

• Over 21 million meals were given to children and families.
• More people in the UK learned about child hunger and how to help.
• Marcus helped create a group called the Child Food Poverty Taskforce to make sure every child has enough to eat.

He even helped to change government rules so that more children could get free school meals.

A Real-Life Hero

Marcus still plays football for Manchester United and England, but he also keeps fighting to end child hunger. He asks people to write to their MPs to help make sure every child gets good food every day.

Because of his hard work, Marcus has won many awards. He even received an MBE from the Queen and an honorary doctorate from The University of Manchester. There is also a mural of him painted in his hometown of Manchester to thank him for all he has done.

Marcus Rashford shows that being a hero isn’t just about scoring goals — it’s about helping others and making the world a better place.

Read the full story here: myhero.com/marcus-rashford-mbe-football-hero-and-hunger-campaigner