Note at Rashford mural says ‘thank you for our dinner’

Kieran Galpin

A heartwarming reminder of all the good he has done

Following Sunday’s England Italy game, which saw Italy walk away with the trophy, Black players were subjected to horrendous abuse online. A mural in Manchester of Marcus Rashford was defaced with blue spray paint, but the community rallied together to fill the wall with messages of love, support, and compassion.

In the bottom right image that Rashford shared, a note from Reggie reads: “Thank you for all our dinner.”

During the pandemic, the Manchester United Player launched a campaign to feed children across the UK. As an ambassador for FareShare, Rashford’s name and contribution spurred an estimated £20m in donations. This earned him a spot on the Sunday Times giving list, an honorary doctorate, and an MBE from The Queen.

His continued efforts to fight child poverty in the UK have earned him the respect of the nation. However, when he missed during Sunday’s penalties, Rashford and several other players were the victims of racial abuse online. Less than an hour after the game finished, his mural had been defaced.

The mural usually reads: “Take pride in knowing that your struggle will play the biggest role in your purpose.”

https://twitter.com/arghkid/status/1414488302321868801

But the community rallied around Rashford, with a street artist restoring the Mural to its former glory. Rashford then took to Twitter to share his experiences.

“I’ve grown into a sport where I expect to read things written about myself. Whether it be the colour of my skin, where I grew up, or most recently, how I decide to spend my time off the pitch.

“I can take critique of my performance all day long, my penalty was not good enough, it should have gone in but I will never apologise for who I am and where I came from.

“I’ve felt no prouder moment than wearing those three lions on my chest and seeing my family cheer me on in a crowd of 10s of thousands.

“The messages I’ve received today have been positively overwhelming and seeing the response in Withington had me on the verge of tears. The communities that always wrapped their arms around me continue to hold me up. I’m Marcus Rashford, 23 years old, black man from Withington and Wythenshawe, South Manchester. If I have nothing else I have that.”

“For all the kind messages, thank you. I’ll be back stronger. We’ll be back stronger.”