Marcus Rashford - You are a champion : unlock your potential, find your voice and be the best you can be

To every young person WHO IS trying to find their way.

To my mum, for helping me to believe that dreams can come true.

My name is Marcus Rashford.

You might know me because I really, really like football.

I mean, I REALLY like football. Ive supported Manchester United ever since I can remember, and Ive been playing for them since 2016. Its been an incredible few years. I scored during my debut match, and the team has won some important trophies. I also play for the England team (I scored on my debut there, too!) and have been to a World Cup with them that was an incredible experience, and Ill definitely tell you more about it later.

Thats not what this book is about, though. Not really.

You might know me because I play football for Manchester United and England, but you might also know me for the charitable campaigns I helped organise in 2020. Together with the food charity FareShare and the help of people up and down the country, we launched the End Child Food Poverty campaign to make sure that millions of children all over the UK had access to the food and support they needed, during the pandemic and beyond.

Im really proud of that work, too, but thats not quite what this book is about either.

and who understand that you are at the start of your lifes journey, a journey that can be the most incredible thing. My journey has taken me to some really interesting places, and something Ive always tried to remember is that there are no limits to what is possible in this life. I know it isnt always the easiest of journeys, and that sometimes you might get stuck and need help, but you are capable of amazing things.

No matter who you are and no matter where you come from, every single person in the world has the potential to be a champion. It doesnt matter what your background is, where you started in life, what you look like, what you sound like or what challenges you have already faced. You can be a champion. You already have been a champion. And you are going to continue to be a champion in the years to come.

Thats not hype or me making stuff up just to make you feel good; these are some important things I realised when I was younger that really helped me. Ive achieved some things in my life so far that Im really proud of, and I want to go on to achieve so much more, but I couldnt have done any of it without believing in myself and getting help from others.

And thats where this book comes in.

Within you right now is the most incredible potential to go out there and chase your dreams. This book is the book I wish Id had when I was a teenager, and its my way of trying to lend a helping hand on your journey; I want to show you how you can be a champion in almost anything you put your mind to, and that you dont need to have a gold medal or a big trophy to prove that youre a champion, because there are so many different ways that you can be one!

• You can be a champion in a competition, and come out number one, and you can be a champion in the things you enjoy and not win prizes for them. I want to help you to develop skills for the challenges ahead so you can be a champion at life.
• You can be a champion for another person, and try your best to support them in what they do. I hope youll learn that there are people all around you who are championing you right now, and that you can even be a champion for the people who are close to you too.
• You can be a champion for a cause. Ive been involved in a few anti-food-poverty campaigns, because thats a cause very close to my heart. You might decide you want to be a champion for something that you believe in, and Id like to show you how to do that.

And no matter what happens in your life, the most amazing way that you can be a champion is by being your OWN champion. Trust me, when you believe in yourself, incredible things can happen.

For me, learning how to believe in myself came when I started reading books; it showed me how to explore the possibilities within myself. When I was younger, I had a dream of playing football for England, but I wasnt quite sure how to get there. Books helped me figure out how to dream big, how to chase my dream, and how to develop a champion mindset, which I practise every single day. Id like to pass that on to you with this book.

One thing I love about books is how every person can take something different from them. Books are powerful because they allow you to dream about different worlds and to look at things in different ways.

I want you to think of this book as a key that unlocks new doors in your mind, and I hope that in reading this you find something useful for all the years ahead. I hope that by the time you get to the last page youll have found some new ways of thinking that will help you. Everyone is different, everyone has their own journey, but everyone, in their own special way, is a champion.

So lets find out all the ways that YOU are a champion.

Turn the page and lets get to work. Together.

M.R.

There are probably a lot of things you know about me already. I play as a forward for Manchester United and England, which means I have to try my best to create or score goals whenever possible. Im right-footed, although Im working on getting better on my left. Im the youngest of five siblings I have two older brothers, Dwaine and Dane, and two sisters, Chantelle and Claire and my mums name is Melanie. I love them all a lot. Family is really important to me, and I like to help people, too thats one reason why I work hard on things Im passionate about, both on and off the pitch.

There are also lots of things you might not know about me. I dont have a middle name, but one of the first nicknames I ever had was Shot, because once I was playing in goal and I took a shot right in the face, then I sprang back up like it was nothing. (It ended up being an epic save!)

When I was a kid I wasnt the best swimmer and I was also a little scared of heights, but I loved strawberry cream biscuits. My favourite Ninja Turtle was Donatello, although I wasnt great at science in school like he was I was better at maths. I grew up by Button Lane in Wythenshawe, South Manchester, and I used to sleep on the top bunk in a bedroom I shared with my brother, Dane. We had a little TV on top of this set of cupboards, but it didnt work all the time, and sometimes youd have to give it a bang when the picture was getting fuzzy.