Marcus Rashford 'Disappointed' by Education Secretary's Letter Regarding Child Food Poverty

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has admitted he is 'disappointed' by the lack of 'empathy' shown by those in government and their unwillingness to support the vulnerable, following Education Secretary Gavin Williamson's decision to not publicly back the campaign to tackle child food poverty.

The 22-year-old has become a real role model for so many now, not only due to his on-field performances, but also because of his hard work to tackle social issues off the field. Perhaps most notably, Rashford has worked tirelessly in recent months to tackle the issue of child food poverty,

The Man Utd forward recently took to his Twitter to confirm that his campaign with FareShare is currently distributing 4,287,088 meals to the most vulnerable across the UK. His work with FareShare, as well as his involvement with the Child Food Poverty Taskforce has led to government officials such as Sadiq Khan reaching out to thank him for his hard work.

But the Daily Mail report that the England international has been left bitterly disappointed by the overall lack of compassion shown by the government as well as a lack of empathy. Rashford expressed his frustration in response to a letter recently sent by Education Secretary Williamson, who simply refused to publicly commit to the campaign - which would see more free school meals and food vouchers distributed.

Instead, his letter simply highlighted a number of government initiatives to tackle food poverty. The details of the letter were revealed by the BBC. His letter read: "I recognise that you and the Child Food Poverty Taskforce are supporting three of the recommendations in the National Food Strategy relating to food for lower income families.

"The government will carefully consider each of the recommendations in the report as we approach the next spending review."

While Williamson does suggest the recommendations will be 'carefully considered', it appears to merely be an attempt to sidestep the issue and instead highlight a number of already existing policies.

Recognising this, Rashford said in response: "I am disappointed by the lack of empathy shown in recent weeks towards protecting our most vulnerable, the future of this country… letting millions of children in the UK go hungry at night is only an issue of humanity. We need to do better."

Rashford has been criticised by some for his dedication to the cause and determination to seek change, despite the fact the 2020/21 campaign has begun. A number have suggested he should be focusing more on his football now rather than tackling social issues.

However, the reality is that footballers are allowed to have lives outside of the world of football, and Rashford is choosing to take charge and lead the way in an effort to tackle a major issue. He simply shouldn't be criticised by anyone, instead his efforts and commitment should be recognised and supported.

Recognising some of the recent criticism on his social media, Rashford recently hit back very simply and effectively. After posting a number of tweets on his Twitter, he then signed off by writing: "Anyway, I'm off to 'stick to my football'. Have a good weekend everyone."

Rashford has changed the lives of so many for the better already, but he has now admitted his disappointment at the lack of empathy shown by the government.