Marcus Rashford
A Manchester United striker who became a powerful national voice against child poverty, using his platform to force government policy changes.
Born 1997 (age 29)·English footballer·Birthday: October 31·Generation Z
Biography
Marcus Rashford scored twice on his senior debut for Manchester United in 2016. Born and raised in Wythenshawe, Manchester, he rocketed through the United academy. His pace and direct style made him a fixture for club and country. Drawing on his own childhood experiences with food insecurity, he launched a campaign in 2020 to extend free school meals during holidays. His open letter to UK parliamentarians combined personal narrative with stark facts, sparking a public outcry that pushed the government into repeated U-turns, providing meals for millions of children. He founded a child food poverty task force and a book club to promote literacy.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Marcus was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Marcus Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Marcus's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Spearheaded a campaign that pressured the UK government to provide £520 million in free school meal vouchers for vulnerable children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for services to vulnerable children in the 2020 Birthday Honours.
- Scored on his Premier League, Europa League, Champions League, and England senior team debuts.
- Founded the 'In the Box' campaign to combat homelessness by providing essential boxes of food and toiletries.
Did You Know?
He was a competitive dancer as a child, winning a national competition at the age of 11.
He has a pacemaker fitted, a condition discovered during routine medical checks when he joined Manchester United's academy.
He is a published author, having co-written the children's book 'You Are a Champion' with journalist Carl Anka.
“I don’t have the education of a politician, but I have a social education. I’m clued up on the difference a U-turn can make.”
