'Without Rashford, some parents would have been forced to shoplift' - How Man Utd star's intervention will help those in need

The Manchester United forward's lobbying of the UK government will ensure children do not go hungry in the UK during the summer holidays As Marcus Rashford walked off the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium pitch following his warm-up on Friday evening, the electronic advertising boards flashed up the message ‘we appreciate everything you do’.

The sign of gratitude was aimed at the key workers who have toiled tirelessly throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. It could also, however, easily have been directed at the Manchester United forward after his campaigning ensured over one million children will not go hungry through the summer months.

Rashford lobbied for the government's free school meal voucher scheme to be extended through the upcoming summer holidays as families struggle to deal with the financial implications of the coronavirus. Despite initial opposition, it was announced on June 16 that the scheme would continue past its usual end point in mid-July. Rashford's own personal experiences as a child pushed him to fight for those who are in the same situation he used to be when his mother was reliant on state-funded food.

“I was obviously shocked,” Rashford told the BBC after Prime Minister Boris Johnson U-turned on his decision. “It is a big decision for someone to make and I'm just grateful that the Prime Minister did change his decision and he understood.

“I spoke to him and thanked him for that. It's a nice feeling but I'm just happy that people's lives, and people's summers especially, have been changed for the better.”

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was joined by fellow high-profile managers Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho in praising the 22-year-old, but Rashford was not doing it to receive recognition from his peers. He fought for the hundreds of thousands of families who will have one less worry this summer due to his actions.

Since the UK went into lockdown in March, the pressure on food banks and need for free food has intensified, with economic hardship forcing more people to ask for help than ever before. Food distribution charity, FareShare, is currently shipping out three times the amount of food they would normally do at this time of year.