Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford wrote a heartfelt message for the young footballers of the country after the Premier League announced that this season’s academy programmes, from Under-23 to Under-9, have been cancelled due to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Taking to his official Twitter handle, Rashford wrote, “The news you got yesterday was probably not what you wanted to hear. I know all you want to do is play because I’m the same but the decision has been made to protect everyone involved.”
To the Academy Players 🗣 pic.twitter.com/PgszKFuatu
— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) May 2, 2020
The 23-year-old England international called the coronavirus situation something bigger than football and suggested the youngsters to practice indoors. Reminiscing on his childhood, Rashford said how he used to hit targets in his garden to sharpen his accuracy.
“This is bigger than football. You might be feeling a bit low but the best thing you can do is pick up your ball and get out in the garden. When I was in the academy I used to find a spot in the garden and aim for targets just so I could practice my accuracy, get creative,” Rashford said.
“Now is not the time to fall out of love with the game its a time to remember why you fell in love with it in the first place. You’ve got this and we can’t wait to see you all back next season!” the message said.
The Premier League Shareholders on Friday unanimously agreed to curtail the 2019/20 Academy Games Programme. The curtailment will include all Under-9 to Under-16 games as well as the Under-18 and Under-23 competitions.
Nick Cox, head of Manchester United’s academy, said in a statement on Friday, “We will continue to support our young players’ football development and mental well being during this time and look forward to welcoming them back to full-time training when this is possible.”