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Football

15th Jul 2020

Marcus Rashford to receive honorary doctorate degree from University of Manchester

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford will receive an honorary doctorate degree after ensuring millions of children can eat

Reuben Pinder

One guaranteed honour for Rashford this season

Marcus Rashford will receive an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Manchester following his campaign to fight child hunger in the UK.

The Manchester United forward put pressure on the government to ensure that free school meal vouchers would be valid over the summer holidays, after months of lockdown saw child hunger worsen.

As someone who had free school meals, Rashford knows first hand their importance, which proved to be a vital part of his campaign.

Thanks for Rashford’s activism, 1.3 million children in the UK will be eating over the summer.

Rashford will become the youngest person to receive an honorary doctorate – the highest honour available – from the university.

He joins Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton on the list of Man United legends to have received the honour.

The 22-year-old said it was “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.”

Rashford is still fighting the battle against child poverty, recently tweeting that 2,500 children in the UK have been admitted to hospital with malnutrition in the first 6 months of the year. In his words: “2,500 too many.”