Rashford’s€270k on a date flight
Footballer hires jet for romantic break
FOOTBALLER Marcus Rashford is flying on the pitch… and off it.
The Manchester United hero chartered an entire Boeing 737 to whisk fiancee Lucia Loi to New York for a romantic break.
The plane – which cost €270,000 to hire – normally carries over 125 passengers.
A source said: “It was a grand gesture. Marcus is loved up.”
The footballer and Lucia, both 25, enjoyed the trip last month after he was ruled out of England’s games due to injury.
He shared a few snaps of their trip to the Big Apple online – including a picture of them posing by a fountain in Central Park.
Marcus and Lucia met at school in Greater Manchester when they were just 15. The couple got engaged last May.
Lucia, who has a degree in advertising and brand management, has previously travelled with Marcus to tournaments such as the World Cup. Some football fans criticised the timing of their Manhattan trip – while the Three Lions played Euro qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine.
But boss Gareth Southgate said: “Once Marcus is ruled out of the squad, it’s entirely up to him how he spends his time.”
Marcus – Manchester United’s top scorer this season with 28 goals – is currently injured again. He limped off the pitch after a recent game against Everton.
The forward won acclaim during the pandemic in June 2020 when he launched a campaign to feed the most vulnerable children in society.
His actions resulted in a UK government U-turn as Tory ministers agreed to provide meal vouchers for 1.3 million children during the school holidays.
As a child, Marcus relied on breakfast clubs and free school meals when he was growing up in Manchester. He joined United’s youth set-up aged seven and now earns a reported €220,000 a week. Marcus isn’t the only top footballer with a love of flying. Ex-united star Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar all have their own private jets.