Marcus Rashford, Herald of Modern Times

Text by: Thomas-Sean de Saint Leger Follow

At just 22 years old, the Manchester United footballer has become, through his fight for free meals for the poorest children, an influential voice in the fight against social inequality in the UK. A commitment to the image of the player: amazing, different, involved.

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"  How am I going to celebrate?" Revising: I have a chemistry exam tomorrow.  His first media intervention, at 18, when he had just, for his debut with the Mancunian club to score 4 goals in two games, set the tone: Marcus Rashford mastered the art of the opposite foot.

Contrary to the cliché of the selfish footballer, ill-bred and disconnected from reality, the kid from Wythenshawe in the south of Manchester, multiplies the initiatives in favor of disadvantaged children, in a country where the health crisis widens inequalities even more social. The attacker of the English national team, himself brought up in a poor household by a single mother from Saint Kitts and Nevis, thus financially and mediatically sponsored an operation of the FareShare association, making it possible to subsidize the equivalent to 3 million meals.

► Read also: United Kingdom: Marcus Rashford makes Boris Johnson fold over children's meal vouchers

But his master stroke, it is this open letter sent Monday, June 15 to British parliamentarians to request the maintenance during the summer of free school meals, which benefit 1.3 million young students of the Kingdom.

First reluctant, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will finally fold, acceding to the request of the Manchester United player, and behind him hundreds of thousands of families.

An Open Letter to all MPs in Parliament ... # maketheUturn

Please retweet and tag your local MPs pic.twitter.com/GXuUxFJdcv

A strong character

"  Without the kindness and generosity of the community, there would not be the Marcus Rashford you see today: a 22 year old black man who is fortunate to have a career in a sport he loves  ", wrote in the introduction to his open letter the Manchester United player, propelled in fact spokesman for disadvantaged young people and their families. "  That's it, England, in 2020  ", he will add, in a tweet, moments after the change of course from Boris Johnson.

I don't even know what to say.
Just look at what we can do when we come together, THIS is England in 2020.

His daring and hard-hitting speech revealed other character traits of the young attacker: maturity and a certain cheek, already glimpsed on the field, one evening in March 2019, when he had chosen to take the first penalty from his professional career. It was at the Parc des Princes, against PSG, in the last seconds of a knockout round of the Champions League. A kick which must then decide the fate of the meeting. Facing him, in the cages, the legend Gianluigi Buffon. A few steps, then Rashford "turns on" the Italian doorman. Goal. Paris is still eliminated, Manchester United qualified and the "little" Marcus already shows the muscles.

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#blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/LSEeQ61YRz

Known as a player, the "Red Devil", who also joined the "Black Lives Matter" movement at the start of the George Floyd affair, is today recognized as a public figure by the highest authorities in his country : "  I spoke to Marcus Rashford today and congratulated him on his campaign, I think he is right to draw attention to the food problems in the poorest households  ", a thus declared Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A way to recognize his "defeat" against the Manchester United striker, as formidable with his feet as with his hands: in addition to the open letter, Rashford published a column in the daily newspaper The Times , one of the most famous in the country. The footballer has cracked numerous messages on social networks, such as Instagram , where he is followed by 8.5 million users, and Twitter.

Carried by a hard-hitting keyword (#MaketheUturn, “to make a U-turn”, in French), the open letter intended for parliamentarians spread quickly, gained weight, and made its author “  an inspiration and a heroes of our time  ”to use the words of the president of the Education Commission, Robert Halfon. A modern herald, therefore, who has promised to continue his fights, and to whom the Daily Star already attributes a political destiny: "  Rashford, Prime Minister  !»Proclaims the tabloid. Not sure that Manchester United supporters agree.

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