Footballer Marcus Rashford and Barack Obama discuss single mothers and changing society

Marcus Rashford and President Barack Obama have discussed some of their shared experiences, including being raised by single mothers.

Rashford, the Manchester United and England striker who last year led a campaign to tackle child food poverty, met Mr Obama in a Zoom conversation.

The pair spoke about the power that young people have to change society, the importance of giving back to your local community and the positive impact of reading, as well as other themes from the president’s memoir, A Promised Land.

Rashford’s campaign last year led to 1.7 million vulnerable children being supported by a £520m government scheme, and other projects have helped deliver 130 million meals.

Mr 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 said afterwards: “It’s quite surreal isn’t it? I’m sitting in my kitchen in Manchester, speaking to [former] 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.”

The footballer on Thursday released his debut children’s book, You Are a Champion, written with journalist Carl Anka, which features stories from his own childhood to demonstrate to young people how success comes from having the right mindset.

He also launched a series of online budget cooking tutorials alongside chef Tom Kerridge last month to offer recipe ideas for low income families.

Rashford on Wednesday night revealed he had received “at least 70 racial slurs” across his social media accounts following Manchester United’s Europa League final loss.

Police confirmed they were investigating a string of racist comments sent to Rashford and other Manchester United players after the team’s defeat to Spanish side Villarreal on penalties in Gdansk.

Police also investigated racist comments sent to Rashford and other players in January, when a number of Premier League footballers spoke out after being targeted at the beginning of the year.

Additional reporting by PA