Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford doesn’t have to worry about money any more.
But while his mum no longer juggles multiple jobs or skips meals so her children can eat, it doesn’t mean Marcus has forgotten how tough childhood can be.
In his latest book, You Can Do It, the footballer aims to tell children aged between 10 and 14 all the things he wishes he knew when he was their age.
In the inspirational follow-up to his bestselling debut, You Are a Champion, the England star hopes to equip kids with the tools they need for adult life.
Food poverty campaigner Marcus, 24, says: “My mum often needed a little help when I was a child, and I started to wonder how I might go about helping the next generation who were having a tough time.
“That process set me on a journey that led me to work with some inspiring and generous people.
“This book is my attempt to share the lessons I’ve learned from – because when you discover how powerful you can be working in a team, you will realise that you can do amazing things and make a real difference.”
Here, the football ace shares some of his practical advice for children growing up in today’s world…
Take breaks
When it feels like your batteries are running out, the best thing you can do is stop for a bit and get yourself a fresh pair of batteries. It can be hard to do when things are busy, or when you want to reach a goal quickly, but sometimes going at a pace you’re comfortable with is better than going as fast as possible.
Exercise should be enjoyable
If you’re the type of person who dreads going to PE lessons then don’t worry – exercise can be as simple as going for a walk when you can, taking in all the sights and sounds of a day. If you walk to and from school every day, you’re already doing exercise. If you don’t, then don’t worry. Take some time to look at what sort of exercise might interest you.
Drink more water
I only really started drinking lots of water since my shoulder surgery. I’m serious! I knew how important it was for me to eat right, get loads of sleep, do exercise and spend time with friends but if I got thirsty, I usually drank one of those special sports drinks or squash. But then someone at Manchester United told me that water is the glue that helps hold your muscles together and I should start my day by drinking a glass of it. So now I do!
Forget about normal
Everyone has had experiences where we’ve been made to feel like we’re not normal, or have maybe thought that there’s something wrong with us.
It might be hard to believe, but this feeling has happened to all of us – even celebrities, successful athletes and business people around the world.
To help you throw out the old idea that you need to be “normal”, make a list of things that make you uniquely you.
What makes you stand out from the crowd? What do you share with the people closest to you? What things have made you feel “weird”?
Don’t be afraid to be different
Can you think of a time you were scared of someone who was different from you? What about the situation felt scary? As you got to know more about the person or situation, how did your feelings change?
As a fun exercise, get some paper and write out the following words, filling in
the gaps as you go:
■ When I first met this person, I felt…
■ I was scared because…
■ As I grew to know them, I learned…
■ Learning more about this person made me feel…
■ If I met someone today who was scared like I was, my advice for them would be…
Try, try and try again
Nelson Mandela once said, “It always seems impossible until it is done.” That’s something I think about a lot.
The road is long and sometimes hard but I want you to try your best to keep your determination to make your world a better place, no matter what happens.
For this activity, I want you to write some messages to yourself, which you can come back to when your journey gets difficult.
Start off by putting your name on the top of a piece of paper, and then write:
■ I can do amazing things.
■ I’m going to work as part of a team to help make the world a better place.
■ Something I really care about is …
■ Something I would like to change about the world around me is …
■ When things get difficult, I try to remind myself that
I am loved, that people are rooting for me and, while things might be difficult now, they won’t be difficult for ever.
Be kind to others
Choosing to be kind to others is one of the most important things you can do in life.
In the area I grew up [South Manchester], there was a shop run by a guy called Greg, who opened it when I was about seven or eight.
On top of being this nice, friendly shopkeeper, Greg was the most amazing chef.
Every now and then, after school, I’d go into Greg’s shop to get some sweets. But whenever I tried to pay, Greg would always shake his head.
The first time it happened I thought he was going to give me a telling off about buying sugar but instead Greg would always tell me to keep my money.
“You can have the sweets, but keep the money,” he’d tell me. “I’ll talk to your mum when she next comes in the shop.”
It was his way of looking after me because he knew we didn’t always have a lot of food at home and he wanted to do something nice for my mum and me. That’s the sort of person I try my hardest to be like.
What he did for my mum and me enabled me to ask people around the country to be kind and support my free school meals campaign in 2020, which in turn led to millions of children across the UK getting
the food they desperately needed.
- You Can Do It: How to Find your Voice and Make a Difference, published by Macmillan Children’s Books, is out now
