England star Rashford takes aim at Spectator magazine over coverage of charity partnerships
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Marcus Rashford mural covered with messages of support after it was defaced following the Euro 2020 Final between Italy and England
– Action Images via Reuters
England football star Marcus Rashford has called out the Spectator over a yet-to-be-published story about income from his charity partnerships.
The 23-year-old striker said the right-wing weekly is planning to run an article “about how I have benefitted commercially in the last 18 months”.
In a Twitter thread he defended his partnerships and said his fees contribute to off-pitch causes such as food poverty initiatives.
He tweeted: “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.
“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.
The Manchester United hotshot is a prominent food poverty campaigner and has consistently been a thorn in the side of government ministers, forcing a series of U-turns over free school meals at the height of the Covid pandemic.
Rashford’s Burberry partnership saw the fashion company make a number of donations to youth charities and youth clubs, including London Youth and Norbrook Youth Club in Manchester, which he attended as a child.
He became the youngest person to top the Sunday Times Giving List by raising £20 million in donations from supermarkets for groups tackling the issue.
In the Twitter thread, he added: “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?
“I actually enjoy reading bits from The Spectator now and again but this is just a non starter.”
Rashford, who received free school meals himself, was made an MBE in the delayed 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
The England ace was the target of online racist abuse recently after his penalty miss in the Euro 2020 final against Italy. Abusive graffiti was also left on a mural of his face in Withington, Manchester.
His Three Lions teammates Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka also missed penalties and were subjected to vile abuse on social media.