Marcus Rashford MBE is the man of the moment, having won the battle to have a free school meal voucher scheme extended for around 1.3million children in England this summer.
MORE: Marcus Rashford recalls heartbreaking memories of going hungry as a child
It was a personal victory for the 23-year-old, who received free school meals as a youngster growing up in Wythenshawe, Manchester, and he was rightfully lauded for his campaign, which prompted the government to make a complete U-turn on the extension of the scheme. As a result of his campaigning work, the footballer was made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list and was recognised at both the Best Fifa Football Awards and the BBC's Sports Personality of The Year awards.
But how much do you know about the Manchester United football star's family life? HELLO! takes a closer look…
WATCH: Marcus Rashford opens up about his campaign to help feed children
Who are his parents?
Marcus is the son of Robert and Melanie Rashford. He is extremely close with his mum, a former cashier, and in the wake of his victory, he paid an emotional tribute to Melanie. In a tweet, Piers Morgan said: "Congrats Marcus. This is the biggest win of your life. Your Mum must be bursting with pride." Marcus replied: "This is her moment." His tweet was posted with a red love heart.
Marcus is extremely close to his mum, Melanie
Marcus previously revealed how his mum forced through his move to Manchester United's academy a year early to help him escape growing up in their low-income family. He told BBC Breakfast: "The programme that I started at 11 years old, you’re supposed to start it at 12 years old. It basically gives you accommodation closer to the training facilities and a new school.
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"She worked hard to push it forward, because she knew that for me it was the step I needed to take. I needed to be eating the right foods and I needed to be close to my teammates and my new school friends.
The Manchester United star aged 11
"She made that decision when I was 11 and United allowed it, so that was the reason why I ended up going at a younger age compared to the others.
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"It was to help my mum with her situation and also get me out of the situation that I was in." The footballer said he had memories of being hungry as a child, but knew it was no fault of his family's.
Opening up again about his childhood, this time for his new BBC documentary Marcus Rashford: Feeding Britain's Children, the footballer said: "There were times when there wasn't any food, so you'd just go to sleep. The people that were closest to me knew about the situation me and my family were going through, but my team-mates and coaches didn't."
Marcus pictured with his proud mum
When Marcus was nine, the family moved to the Northern Moor estate in Wythenshawe, where Channel 4's iconic show Shameless was filmed. As a thank you to his mum for keeping him on the straight and narrow as a child, he rented a £800,000 home for her in 2016. Marcus himself has a £1.2million five-bedroom luxury pad in Wilmslow, which he bought in 2019.
MORE: Piers Morgan furious over Boris Johnson's claims about Marcus Rashford's campaign
Does he have any siblings?
The footballer with his two brothers
Marcus has two brothers, Dwaine Maynard and Dane Rashford, who currently represent the star after creating their own agency. His half-sister Tamara – with whom he shares a father - made it to the finals of Miss England last year. A marketing and communications assistant, she graduated from the University of Salford with a First in International Event Management and gives up a lot of her time doing charity work.
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Who is his girlfriend?
Marcus is dating PR executive Lucia Loi
Marcus is thought to be in a relationship with Lucia Loi, a 22-year-old PR account executive for the Manchester-based PR company, Sugar. The couple prefer to keep their romance out of the spotlight; in 2016, she shared a sweet snapshot of the two of them on Instagram in honour of Marcus’s birthday, but it has since been removed. In her work bio, Lucia states that she loves "fitness, art and cooking" and also "enjoys travelling".
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What is his net worth?
Marcus was recognised for his achievements off the field this year at the Sports Personality of the Year Awards
Marcus has been a regular in Manchester United since 2016, and is considered one of England’s best young players. British finance magazine Spears has estimated Marcus’s net worth to be around £65million. Aside from his salary at Man U, details of his wealth are not exactly clear, but his various endorsements, particularly with sportswear giants Nike, are sure to be worth a great deal.
In 2019, Marcus signed a new contract with Manchester United, reportedly worth £200,000 a week. That deal runs until 2023, and means that his salary stands at over £10million a year before anything else is taken into account.
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