Marcus Rashford scored a sublime Champions League hat-trick to cap a brilliant week on and off the field as he fights to feed impoverished school children
- Manchester United's Marcus Rashford scored a sublime Champions League hat-trick on Wednesday to cap what has already been a memorable week off the field.
- The 22-year-old's petition to overturn the UK government's decision not to provide impoverished children with free meals throughout the school holidays reached one million signatures earlier in the day.
- "3 goals, 16 minutes, 1030000 signatures," Rashford tweeted. "Can't stop smiling."
Manchester United's Marcus Rashford capped what has already been a brilliant week off the field by scoring a sublime Champions League hat-trick in a 5-0 win against RB Leipzig on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old is leading a campaign to overturn the UK government's decision not to provide impoverished children with free meals during the school holidays, with his petition having reached over one million signatures earlier in the day.
Against Leipzig, Rashford came on as a 63rd minute substitute and opened his account just 11 minutes later, slotting home into the bottom corner to double United's lead after Mason Greenwood's first half strike.
Rashford scored again in the 74th minute, before turning down the chance to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot, instead allowing Anthony Martial, who had won the spot kick, to step up and score.
Martial repaid the favour in stoppage time however, finding Rashford unmarked in the box, with the England international firing home for his third of the night.
"Marcus has showed he can keep focusing on what's important on and off the pitch at the moment," United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told reporters after. "He did really well today coming off the bench."
Rashford later tweeted: "3 goals, 16 minutes, 1030000 signatures. Can't stop smiling, I've waited a long time for that. Just wish the fans were in to experience it with me."
The ex-Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand also praised Rashford's incredible week.
"He is on fire. He's been on the front of the papers for all the right reasons, and tomorrow he'll be on the back of them," Ferdinand said speaking on BT Sport.
"It's like being in the playground with a sixth-former against the younger boys and he just bullies everyone — too quick and too strong. He made some defenders, who we were raving about before the game, look like schoolboys tonight."
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