Marcus Rashford takes the knee and raises his fist in solidarity with Black Lives Matter as he returns to the pitch for the first time since defeating Boris Johnson in school meals campaign
- Manchester United and Tottenham players took the knee prior to the Premier League fixture in London
- Marcus Rashford led the gestures with a raised clenched fist in the centre circle as fellow players joined in
- Comes in wake of his defeat of Boris Johnson on free school meals for children
- Shirts carried the printing Black Lives Matter to show support for the movement
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Marcus Rashford was among the football stars to lead the show of solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement on Friday night, as Manchester United faced Tottenham in the return of the Premier League.
Football has thrown its support behind the Black Lives Matter movement, backing the cause strongly after the recent death of George Floyd in Minneapolis added powerful momentum to the campaign.
United star Rashford took was picked up by the cameras in the centre circle of the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, taking the knee and raising a clenched fist above his head as fellow team-mates joined him.
On the opposing side England captain Harry Kane followed suit, replicating the gesture as all players and staff shared a moment kneeling on the turf before beginning the match.
Marcus Rashford was among the football stars to lead the show of solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement on Friday night, taking to the centre of the field with a clenched fist
England captain Harry Kane also mirrored the gesture, as players and staff came together to share the moment of support
‘Black Lives Matter’ could also be seen on the back of each shirt in replace of the usual player names, a gesture which every Premier League club will be undertaking for the remaining fixtures this season.
Earlier in the evening players from both Southampton and Norwich had acted in the same manner, showing solidarity before their 6pm kick-off.
Rashford’s support to the movement comes after a busy week, in which he pulled off a victory over Prime Minister Boris Johnson after forcing the government into an embarrassing U-turn regarding the extension of free school meals for children over the summer.
The PM announced that around 1.3million children currently eligible for free lunches in England will get vouchers worth £15 a week that can be spent in supermarkets.
A spokesman for 22-year-old Rashford said: ‘Marcus thanked the Prime Minister for U-turning on a decision that could have been detrimental to the stability of families across the country.’
Downing Street said the £120million Covid Summer Food Fund was ‘one-off’ recognition of the struggles families faced as the coronavirus lockdown sends the economy into a tailspin. ‘The Prime Minister fully appreciates the problems facing families across the UK during this difficult times,’ Mr Johnson’s spokesman said.