Fergie’s tribute to ‘courageous’ role model Rash

SIR Alex Ferguson has paid an emotional tribute to Marcus Rashford after the United forward was honoured at the Football Writers’ Association annual awards.

The 23-year-old has become the youngest recipient of the tribute in recognition of his work fighting child poverty during the pandemic.

Rashford has teamed up with charity FareShare to deliver food to children who were no longer receiving free school meals.

Earlier this week, the United forward used his personal social media profiles to criticise the ‘unacceptable’ food packages being sent to families, pressuring a government review of the way charity funding was being spent.

As well as his work around child hunger, Rashord has also questioned the government’s plans to remove a Universal Credit payment uplift, while he also supported a campaign to get children reading as part of World Book Day.

Even with all his commitments away from the pitch, he has excelled on it - enjoying his best goalscoring season for the Reds as they finished third in the Premier League last year.

“I would like to congratulate Marcus on his achievement and presentation (of the FWA Tribute Award),” former Reds boss Ferguson said.

“I have known him since being a kid of seven years of age, and seen him develop through the ranks of Manchester United into a truly wonderful person.

“Apart from his football life, what he has achieved in the last few months is quite astonishing, how he has helped the people in need is a truly amazing achievement.

“I would like to congratulate him on that. He has shown to young people in particular there is a different way of dealing with life.

“He has shown great humility, he has shown courage to do what he did, so this achievement is well deserved and should be recognised with what he has done.

“So Marcus, well done on a fantastic achievement.”

The United forward thanked the legendary manager for the support he has shown him throughout his own journey.

Rashford added: “He has always, from the beginning really, backed me with what I am doing.

“Probably when other people in sports were telling me not to do it and just focus on football, he said if I believed in that, and I believe it is the right thing to do, then he is behind it.

“Those words from him, it’s an amazing feeling to hear that.”

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