Marcus Rashford.

Rashford's coaches earn top award

Friday 04 December 2020 00:01

Marcus Rashford’s coaches have been recognised for their efforts in developing his talent at the 2020 UK Coaching Awards.

The Coaching Chain award celebrates the importance of progressive person-centred coaching and the continuous dedicated support and time invested in the individual.
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Although Marcus is also gaining worldwide respect for his wonderful work away from the field, campaigning for support to help vulnerable children, he has also been in superb form for Manchester United this term, and is joint-leading scorer in the Champions League.

The coaches and mentors recognised are Colin Little, Dave Bushell, David Horrocks, Eamon Mulvey, Louis van Gaal (who handed the striker his senior debut), Maria Kelly, Neil Harris, Paul McGuinness, Stuart Leicester, Tarun Kapur and Tony Whelan.

"We’re just so proud of him,” commented Mulvey, who washis head coach of the foundation phase at United. “It’s nice for these awards to come out but our reward, as coaches, is to help him wherever we can and see him develop into such a wonderful young man.”

Whelan, United’s Academy programme adviser, recently won the Premier League’s Eamonn Dolan award for his outstanding contribution to youth coaching. He added: “For me, and I’m sure the other people in the chain, on his life’s journey, he happened to bump into us and what a privilege and honour that has been. If it was felt I helped him keep his love of the game burning, when he crossed my path, I would be deeply humbled by that.”

Maria Kelly was part of Marcus’s host family when he was aged between 12 and 17, and said: “I’m a bit overwhelmed. There were a few years where he struggled, he didn’t grow at the same rate as the other kids, so he was the little one and there were lots of questions [about him]. I’m incredibly proud that he didn’t give up; he kept going and he’s made such a positive impact on so many people’s lives.”

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