UNITED: Solskjaer: Rashford is a fantastic human

Manager claims striker could be a future captain of England and club

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is immensely proud of Marcus Rashford’s work during the lockdown, saying the Manchester United forward’s help in improving children’s lives is more important than anything he will do on the field.

It is not often you can say the most popular player in the country lines up for the Old Trafford giants, but the 22-year-old has gone above and beyond throughout the coronavirus crisis.

Rashford helped raise £20 million to help feed vulnerable children during the lockdown and this week wrote an open letter to MPs urging the government to reverse its decision not to award free school meals vouchers in England outside of term time.

The England international’s

“Marcus has changed the lives of so many kids this summer. OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER

impassioned and relentless work helped prompt a government U-turn, with the establishment of a £120m “Covid Summer Food Fund” that will benefit some 1.3 million children.

United boss Solskjaer – who has Paul Pogba available again as he takes his side to face Tottenham tonight as part of Project Restart – said: “It’s an honour to have Marcus and what he’s done during this lockdown has been unbelievable.

“When he can help so many people that need it, so many kids. He’s shown, he’s taken from his own experience when he was a kid.

“I know how much it means for the kids and we, as a club, are immensely proud of him.

“He’s obviously a top footballer but he’s also a fantastic human being – a future leader, a future captain, maybe, of England, Man United, who knows? But he’s already captained the team at the age of 22, 23.

“We’re really proud of him. He’s changed the lives of so many kids this summer, which is more important than any game of football he’ll probably play so hopefully he’ll can keep both sides going as well as he is doing now.”