Marcus Rashford speaks with former US President Barack Obama

Marcus Rashford and the former US President Barack Obama have met for the first time.

Speaking to each other on a zoom video call, the pair talked about how young people have the power to make change and can have a positive impact on society.

“It’s quite surreal isn’t it? I’m sitting in my kitchen in Manchester, speaking to President Obama. But, immediately, he made me feel at ease,” Rashford said.

“It wasn’t long before I realised just how aligned our experiences as children were in shaping the men you see today.”

Despite coming from different parts of the world, both Marcus and the former US president have lots in common. During the conversation which was organised by Penguin Books, they talked about their lives as children; both being raised by single mothers, their shared passion for the communities they grew up in and also their love of reading.

“I genuinely enjoyed every minute of it. When President Obama speaks, all you want to do is listen,” Rashford added.

Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States the first Black man to hold the office

A lot of the young people I meet – including Marcus – they’re ahead of where I was when I was 23. They’re already making changes and being positive forces in their communities.

Barack Obama, Former US president

President Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States from 2009 until 2017, he was the first Black man to hold the office. Even though he went on to achieve great things in life, he says that young people like Marcus Rashford are ahead of where he was at the same age, acknowledging the 23-year-old footballer’s campaigning over the last year.

“A lot of the young people I meet – including Marcus – they’re ahead of where I was when I was 23. They’re already making changes and being positive forces in their communities,” Obama said.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Marcus Rashford helped to raise millions of pounds to ensure that some children and families struggling to afford food didn’t go hungry. He also forced the government to change its mind so that free food vouchers were given out during the 2020 summer holidays.

In recognition of his work, Marcus became the youngest person to received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Manchester and in October 2020, he was appointed MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

During the call, President Obama praised Marcus’ achievements but also explained how young people can make change through small gestures: “Even if you do something positive on a small scale, that’s making a difference, and it’s the accumulation of people doing positive things over time that makes us a little bit better with each successive generation.”