Marcus Rashford wins the Football Writers’ Association’s Tribute Award

In January, The Footballer Writers’ Association typically hosts their Tribute Award Night, presenting the honour to an individual who their committee feels has made an outstanding contribution to the national game.

This year’s winner Marcus Rashford has used his profile to help millions of children during the greatest crisis that this country has faced since the Second World War.

Here’s a bit of what he had to say in a video interview with Chair of the Association Carrie Brown, as he became the youngest-ever recipient of the award.

“We’re at the beginning of what I see as a long journey, and I feel that there’s a lot more that needs to be done. On the positive side, we have started to take a few steps in the right direction. It’s not about sitting back now and being happy with what we’ve done, it’s about what’s next in the chapter of these children’s lives.

“We know we’ve managed to reach a lot more people that weren’t getting reached, but there are still a lot of people out there that are really struggling. If we can make 5-10% difference to every single one of their lives, then it puts everyone at a good baseline and then we can start to work on foundations for the future.

“Until everyone is on the same playing field, it’s difficult to start jumping ahead and start asking for things that are necessary but the timing would be wrong.

“Never giving up is something that, when you’re at United’s academy, they give it to you from then. As someone’s who’s been here since I was five or six-years-old, it’s something that’s just engrained into your personality and the way you are both on and off-the-pitch.”

Sir Alex Ferguson is one of many to support the 23-year-old’s campaign, and Rashford was delighted to get the chance to speak to him recently.

He said: “For me it was an unbelievable experience (to talk to Sir Alex about his projects and career) and I think, for me, that is probably the only regret I have ever had in my career – never having the chance to play under Sir Alex.

“It is something which is probably never going to happen now but to be on the phone to him and just have a 10 or 15 minute conversation with him was amazing and I am pleased he was aware of the situation and he wanted to help as well, so it was brilliant.”

You can watch the full interview on The Football Writers’ Association’s YouTube Channel below: