Marcus Rashford has reportedly broken up with his long-term girlfriend Lucia Loi.
The footballer, 23, and Lucia Loi, also 23, are thought to have called it quits earlier this year, according to The Sun.
Lucia was with Marcus as he made his name with Manchester United and England as they had been dating since high school.
However, a source told the publication that despite ending things for now, there is still hope that the pair might ‘reconcile’ after some time apart.
A source close to the Manchester United star said: “After eight years together, Marcus and Lucia have made the mutual decision to part ways.
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“There is a strong mutual love and respect for one another, having met at school, and there is a continued dialogue with the hope of a reconciliation in the future.”
It is reported that Lucia has moved out of the United star’s home in Manchester but that things were left ‘amicable’.
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The pair first started dating in high school, or more specifically at Ashton on Mersey School in Sale, Greater Manchester.
Lucia has been seen supporting Marcus at football games over the years, including during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
She was also by his side during his recent fight against the government in support of feeding Britain’s starving children – something that he received an MBE for back in October.
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Food redistribution charity, FareShare, teamed up with the star and said donations from the England footballer and his fans have funded more than 21 million meals.
FareShare handed out the equivalent of 128.5 million meals in the year since March 23 2020 – more than double the number in the previous 12 months.
However, Marcus’s focus will now be on Manchester United’s Europa League Final game against Villarreal, which takes place on Wednesday 26th May.
Rashford’s performances on the field this year have helped Manchester United secure Champions League football next season.
He’ll also be in the England squad for the Euros, which starts in June of this year.
Manchester
2024 Manchester Marathon raises £29 million for local economy and over £3.7m for charity
Danny Jones
Just under a fortnight on from the 2024 Manchester Marathon and the numbers are finally, with the annual race generating nearly £30 million for the local economy and raising over £3.7m for charity.
This year’s Adidas Manchester Marathon saw record numbers of runners and spectators as over 30,000 took part in the popular race, up by roughly 6,000 from 2023, and more than 125k turned up to line the streets of Greater Manchester.
As a result, these huge crowds spent upwards of £29.2 million at business around the city centre and around the 10 boroughs last weekend, serving as one of the most significant contributions to the local economy on the annual calendar.
Not only was this an approximately £8m increase on last year’s tally but, most importantly, a sizeable chunk of that went straight into both regional and national charities.
Beyond the boost to local vendors, the hospitality sector and retail businesses, over £3.7 million were allocated to charities such as Alzheimer’s Charity, Cancer Research UK, British Heart Foundation and The Christie.
Over £32,000 was also raised for the Trafford Active Fund, with £1 from every paid entry to the Adidas Manchester Marathon and Manchester Half donated directly to the initiative that benefits local sports clubs and organisations through Trafford Council.
Better still, with City of Trees selected as the chosen ‘Green Runner’ charity, the eco-friendly drive saw roughly 7% of participants opt out of receiving either a finisher t-shirt, medal or both.
The money saved in production goes towards maintaining woodlands and wildlife across Greater Manchester.
This year’s Manchester Marathon also helped produce some of the highest number of passengers on public transport in the city’s history, with a over 175,000 journeys made on Metrolink alone – the highest number of journeys ever recorded on a single day.
This was a 20% increaseon 2023’s race day (145k), spotlighting how the event continues to be more environmentally conscious as years go by.
With the 2025 adidas Manchester Marathon confirmed to be taking place on Sunday, 27 April next year – and over 12,000 places already sold – the city can already look forward to reaping the economic and social benefits of hosting one of Europe’s largest, flattest, friendliest and most-loved marathons.
Featured Images — Adidas Manchester Marathon/The Manc Group
Manchester
Manchester firefighter surprises partner with proposal during new recruits parade
Danny Jones
We’re a sucker for a wholesome little video as we know you are, which is exactly why we thought of you lot when we came across this video of a newly graduated Manchester firefighter surprising his partner with a heartwarming proposal.
Just the kind of heartwarming that usually sets us off after a long week at work.
The clip shared by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) on Thursday, 25 April, shows Manc fireman James popping the question to his girlfriend sat unassumingly in the audience at a recent passing out ceremony.
Pass out ceremonies are when trainees go from recruits to fully qualified firefighters after completing their intensive operational training. It’s a long-standing tradition in the emergency services where friends and family gather to celebrate their achievements – it’s almost like it’s the perfect opportunity…
As you can see, since the graduates are usually the centre of attention, James couldn’t help but size his moment and instead of walking and lining up normally like everyone else, he decided to head straight over to his wife-to-be and get down on one knee.
You already know the rest.
Welling up immediately and barely able to remove her hands from her face, Melissa nods and says yes as the crowd cheers and the pair share a smooch.
Writing on social media, the GMFRS said: “We managed to capture a VERY special moment at our new recruits pass out parade today… Congratulations to James and Melissa!”, adding, “Certainly one way to start your new career”.
If we don’t see all the groomsmen dressed as firefighters on a random viral video sometime soon we’re going to be gutted.
All the best to the happy couple and if you’ve got any more lovely clips like this to send in so we can make ourselves cry (in a good way), you know what to do.