JOIN USWill never apologise for who I am: Rashford shares words of encouragement from his little fans after racist abuse
Sunday's loss at the Euro final came down heavy on the England squad, especially the young penalty takers Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka, who missed under immense pressure.
Even as the England reeled from the loss of the nail-biting match, a section of England fans hurled racist abuses against the players, wreaked havoc and resorting to acts of 'hooliganism'
In an emotional statement after receiving racist abuse over the defeat, Marcus Rashford said he would "never apologise for who I am." He also shared his story of encouragement - of the little fans who wrote to Rashford, asking him not to be sad.
Rashford shared letters from his young fans on Twitter, showing how the tables had turned - the kids he had been inspiring took it upon themselves to motivate him now for a change.
— Marcus Rashford MBE (@MarcusRashford) July 12, 2021
A nine-year-old fan spoke about how the Manchester United player, known for aiding social causes, inspired him to help people less fortunate. The boy said he was proud of him and that he would always be a hero.
An 11-year-old fan from Wales wrote to him saying despite the result it was a huge feat to be the first England squad to reach a major final in over 55 years.
"You may have missed your penalty but you have had a brilliant tournament", he said, adding that he admired Rashford and so should the rest of the world.
He also wrote that Rashford's book had been helping him deal with his social anxiety.
People across the world, including UK PM Boris Johnson and Prince William, slammed the treatment meted out to the team and condemned the actions of fans.
"If I have nothing else I have that"
Rashford's emotional statement struck a chord with many after he said that even if he didn't have anything else, his identity as a 23-year-old black man from Withington and Wythenshawe would always stay with him.
"I'm Marcus Rashford, 23-year-old black man from Withington and Wythenshawe, South Manchester. If I have nothing else I have that," Rashford wrote in a statement on Twitter.
Rashford, who came on late in the second period of extra time, apologised for his penalty miss and said "something didn't feel quite right" when he came to take the kick.
"It's been playing in my head over and over since I struck the ball and there's probably not a word to quite describe how it feels. Final. 55 years. 1 penalty. History. All I can say is sorry. I wish it had gone differently," he wrote.
"I can take critique of my performance all day long, my penalty was not good enough, it should have gone in but I will never apologise for who I am and where I came from," Rashford added.
The Euro 2020 trophy was claimed by Italy after an exciting game that had stretched to extra time and then penalties.