In pictures: Marcus Rashford mural covered in messages of support after racist graffiti

Local residents in Withington, Manchester, rallied round to replace the abuse with love hearts

Tuesday 13 July 2021 10:56 BST

Defaced Marcus Rashford mural covered in supportive notes

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Hundreds of messages of support were added to the mural of England footballer Marcus Rashford after it was defaced with graffiti.

Residents in Withington, Manchester, posted sticky notes, love hearts and England flags on the black bin liners covering up the abuse, which appeared shortly after the team’s loss to Italy on penalties at the Euro 2020 final. Police are investigating the incident as racially aggravated criminal damage.

Rashford, who missed his penalty, said in a Twitter post on Monday night that the response from his community “had me on the verge of tears”.

He added: “I can take critique of my performance all day long, my penalty was not good enough, it should have gone in but I will never apologise for who I am and where I came from.

“The messages I have received today have been positively overwhelming... The communities that always wrapped their arms around me continue to hold me up. I’m Marcus Rashford, 23 year old, black man from Withington and Wythenshawe, South Manchester. If I have nothing else, I have that.”

Here are a selection of pictures from the scene: