This archive report was first published on 15 July 2020.
On July 15, 2020, Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford made history by becoming the youngest person to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester.
The 22-year-old striker's dedication to combating child poverty and his charitable efforts have earned him this prestigious honor, following in the footsteps of United greats Alex Ferguson and Bobby Charlton.
Rashford's commitment to helping vulnerable children was evident when he wrote an open letter to MPs last month, forcing a government U-turn on the decision not to award free school meal vouchers to children outside term time.
He drew from his own experiences, as his family relied on free school meals when he was growing up.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Rashford teamed up with poverty and food waste charity FareShare to help raise millions for meals for vulnerable people.
Upon receiving the honor, Rashford stated, “It’s a proud day for myself and my family. When you look at the great names that have been awarded this doctorate in the past, it’s humbling. We still have a long way to go in the fight to combat child poverty in this country, but receiving recognition from your city means we are heading in the right direction and that means a lot.”
University of Manchester president and vice-chancellor Nancy Rothwell praised Rashford, saying, “Marcus is an extraordinary young man with an extraordinary talent and drive that stretches well beyond the football field. His work for charity and his high-profile campaign will not only help countless young people across our own city, but across the entire country.”
