In his interview with the BBC after Johnson’s staggering U-turn, Rashford boldly declared: “I don’t want this to be the end of it because there are more steps that need to be taken. People are struggling all year round, so we need to learn more about the situation they are in and how we can help them best.”
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Thursday that Rashford’s impact has been “more important than any game of football”. But the reality is Rashford does play football for a living.
He does have a long-term desire to one day establish his own foundation, so he can be hands on in developing projects that would benefit the community, but for now, football must take priority again. And until the end of the European Championships in July 2021, Rashford is going to be quite busy.
So, for him, it is a question of identifying the projects and situations where he can help.
On 1 June, that meant a powerful social media statement in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Three days later it meant standing up for an autistic black boy shown in a video being bullied by two white youths in a park.
Since suffering racism himself, Rashford does not see why he should step away from subjects he cares about. As the past few days show, far more will embrace him for it than reject him. And, if they do, he reasons he doesn’t want that kind of person attaching themselves to him anyway.
Those at FareShare believe Rashford taking a stand can help drive lasting change, beyond what has already been achieved.
“Food insecurity is an invisible issue,” says Walsh.
“People talk about raising money for illnesses they have been affected by. There is not so much conversation around ‘I am raising money for a Foodbank because my sister skipped lunch three times last week’.
“People don’t talk about it because it can be a reflection on their circumstances.
“But the fact Marcus is doing so, not only shines a light on it, it also adds credibility because he has benefited from these clubs and seen how they work.”