Marcus Rashford says he will ‘never apologise for who I am’ after racist abuse

England forward pens defiant message to fans after being targeted on social media

Marcus Rashford is distraught after failing to score in the penalty shootout (Getty)

Marcus Rashford has insisted he will “never apologise for who I am” after being subjected to racist abuse in the wake of England’s Euro 2020 final defeat.

The forward was one of three players, alongside Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, who failed to score in the decisive penalty shootout against Italy on Sunday night.

In the aftermath of the game, all three players were targeted with a torrent of racist abuse on social media, described by England manager Gareth Southgate as “unforgivable”.

On Monday, Rashford responded to the abuse he had received by posting a defiant message to Twitter.

“I’ve grown into a sport where I expect to read things written about myself,” Rashford said. “Whether it be the colour of my skin, where I grew up, or most recently, how I decide to spend my time off the pitch.”

"I can take critique of my performance all day long... but I will never apologise for who I am and where I came from," Rashford said.

A mural honouring the Manchester United player in his hometown of Withington was defaced after Sunday’s final. It had been originally commissioned in recognition of his work to tackle child food poverty, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, for which he received an MBE from the Queen.

Withington residents responded by decorating the mural with messages of love and support. One sign, in the shape of a heart, said “Hero”, while another called him a “role model”.

Commenting on the show of support from locals, he wrote: “Seeing the response in Withington had me on the verge of tears.

“I’m Marcus Rashford, 23-year-old black man from Withington and Wythenshawe, South Manchester. If I have nothing else I have that.”

“For all the kind messages thank you. I’ll be back stronger. We’ll be back stronger.”

Rashford also used the statement to apologise to England fans for failing to convert his spot kick, saying he felt he had “let everyone down” and that “all I can say is sorry”.

He wrote: “I don’t even know where to start and I don’t even know how to put into words how I am feeling at this exact time.

“I’ve had a difficult season, I think that’s been clear for everyone to see and I probably went into that final with a lack of confidence. I’ve always backed myself for a penalty, but something didn’t feel quite right.

“During the long run-up I was saving myself a bit of time and unfortunately the result was not what I wanted. I felt as though I had let my teammates down. I felt as if I’d let everyone down. A penalty was all I’d been asked to contribute for the team. I can score penalties in my sleep, so why not that one?

“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 added: “Whilst I continue to say sorry I want to shout out my teammates. This summer has been one of the best camps I’ve experienced and you’ve all played a role in that.

“A brotherhood has been built that is unbreakable. Your success is my success. Your failures are mine.”

He went on to share messages of support he had received from children calling him a “kind, amazing hero”.

Nine-year-old Dexter Rosier wrote: “I hope you won’t be sad for to[o] long because you are such a good person. Last year you inspired me to help people less fortunate. Then last night you inspired me again, to always be brave. I’m proud of you, you will always be a hero.”

Another school child, Alfie, told Rashford: “Coming second may not sound great but it’s amazing you and your team mates should be proud of your[selves] you are the first squad to reach a major final in over 55 years.

He continued: “You may not have won but look at all the other wins you’ve had this year. I admire you and so should the rest of the world.”