“Why has there always got to be a motive? Why can’t we just do the right thing?”
Marcus Rashford has called out The Spectator after learning the magazine was due to publish an article which claimed he “benefitted commercially” from the campaign work he has carried out.
Rashford has been widely praised in the last few months for – amongst other things – forcing a change in government policy regarding Free School Meals. He was honoured with an MBE as a result of his charity work.
After being made aware of the yet-to-be-published article, Rashford posted a four-tweet thread on Twitter in which he clarified that he had no need for commercial deals, and that he partners with various companies because he wants to continue his work away from football.
“To clarify, I don’t need to partner with brands,” he tweeted. “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.
“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?”
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…(1)
— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) July 20, 2021
It is, of course, a sad reflection of the country that after all the good Rashford has done in the last year or so, some people seem more interested in discrediting him.
"Be a hairdresser. Be a pilot or an ice cream van driver. Be whatever you want to be, because that's fine. But above all, don't forget to be like Marcus, too."
What happened when I took my son to see the @MarcusRashford mural | @SmnLlyd5https://t.co/F5xIhUyYx0
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) July 20, 2021
