Marcus Rashford earns praise from Former American President Barack Obama in a surreal Zoom Meeting

Marcus Rashford earns praise from Former American President Barack Obama in a surreal Zoom Meeting

Marcus Rashford and Barack Obama

Manchester United, striker Marcus Rashford earned praise for himself from former American President Barack Obama in an online conversation. The duo met on Zoom in a conversation organised by Penguin Books to discuss ‘power young people can have to make change in society.’

Marcus Rashford described it as a surreal experience, to be talking to the former American President from the comfort of his kitchen. Mr. Obama backed young people such as Marcus Rashford who are “positive forces in their communities”.

“Marcus Rashford way ahead of where I was when 23,”: Barack Obama

Rashford and Obama in the Zoom meeting organised by Penguin Books
Rashford and Obama in the Zoom meeting organized by Penguin Books

Rashford, 23, last year spearheaded a prominent campaign to tackle child food poverty in the UK during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Their discussion focused on the importance of giving back to your local community and the positive impact of reading, as well as other themes from the former president’s memoir, A Promised Land. They also spoke about some of their shared experiences, including being raised by single mothers.

President Obama said: “A lot of the young people I meet – including Marcus – they’re ahead of where I was when I was 23. They’re already making changes and being positive forces in their communities.”

Rashford added: “It’s quite surreal isn’t it? I’m sitting in my kitchen in Manchester, speaking to President Obama. But, immediately, he made me feel at ease.

“It wasn’t long before I realised just how aligned our experiences as children were in shaping the men you see today – adversity, obstacles and all. I genuinely enjoyed every minute of it. When President Obama speaks, all you want to do is listen.”

Marcus Rashford with his newly launched book
Marcus Rashford with his newly launched book

Mr. Obama said his mother had “planted this love of reading” and Rashford said books had given him a freedom to follow his own ideas. “Rather than someone telling me to do this and do that – books allowed me to do it my own way,” said Rashford.

The chat would have certainly come as a boost for the 23-year old Rashford after he received a number of racial insults following Manchester United’s Europa League finals defeat against Villarreal on Thursday.

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