Marcus Rashford pride for Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

It is not often you can say the most popular player in the country lines up for the Old Trafford giants, but the 22-year-old has gone above and beyond throughout the coronavirus crisis.

Rashford helped raise £20million to help feed vulnerable children during the lockdown and this week wrote an open letter to MPs urging the Government to reverse its decision not to award free school meals vouchers in England outside of term time.

The England international’s impassioned and relentless work helped prompt a Government U-turn, with the establishment of a £120 million ‘Covid Summer Food Fund’ that will benefit some 1.3 million children.

United boss Solskjaer said: “It’s an honour to have Marcus and what he’s done during this lockdown has been unbelievable.

“When he can help so many people that need it, so many kids. He’s shown, he’s taken from his own experience when he was a kid.

“I know how much it means for the kids and we, as a club, are immensely proud of him.

“He’s obviously a top footballer but he’s also a fantastic human being – a future leader, a future captain, maybe, of England, Man United, who knows? But he’s already captained the team at the age of 22, 23.

“We’re really proud of him and his family must be so proud as well of what they’ve achieved. What Marcus has done has been incredible, with his family, with his own personality, of course.

“Marcus has always been a great human being and coming up through the academy, I think the club recognised that early on and gave him chances.

“Of course, we saw the talent, but you need to be a really good human being as well to come all the way through.”