Sport

Marcus Rashford to split from Jay-Z sport agency after just one year

Roc Nation regarded Rashford as one of their "New World" athletes that "stand up for what they believe in", but reports suggests he is set to leave.

The Manc The Manc - 14th July 2021

Marcus Rashford is set to leave Jay-Z’s sport agency Roc Nation after just one year on the books, according to The Mirror.

The tabloid newspaper is reporting that the Man Utd forward will be departing the agency alongside Kelly Hogarth – Roc Nation’s vice-president of strategy and communications.

The Man Utd forward officially signed with Jay-Z’s agency in April 2020 – with Roc Nation regarding Rashford as a “New World” athlete who “stands up for what they believe in”.

Rashford worked with Roc Nation last year as he projected a powerful message to parliament about the fight to end child poverty in England. The campaign resulted in two separate u-turns by Downing Street – who reversed their initial decisions to stop food vouchers and free school dinners.

But new reports say the England forward is now expected to leave the agency.

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Founded as a music talent agency by hip-hop pioneer Jay-Z, Roc Nation has since expanded into sport – acquiring American stars before eventually turning to international football players.

Jerome Boateng was the first footballer to sign up to the agency in 2015 – which now represents the likes of Wifried Zaha, Romelu Lukaku, Kevin de Bruyne and Tyrone Mings.

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However, Rashford is no longer listed as one of Roc Nation’s clients on their website.

Rashford’s football ventures, meanwhile, have been represented by DN May Sports Management – a company led by his brothers.

Rashford has been in the headlines since his penalty miss in the Euro 2020 final – with the forward falling victim to horrific abuse online.

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His mural in Withington was also defaced.

Over the past 24 hours, however, the painting has been repaired and people have flocked to the site from all over the UK to leave notes of support and appreciation.

A demonstration also took place in front of the mural – with Rashford describing himself as being “overwhelmed, thankful and lost for words”.

Police have confirmed that one man has also been arrested on suspicion of sending a racist tweet.

Featured image: Wikimedia Commons

Sport

Fernandinho has reportedly been offered a coaching role at Manchester City

Danny Jones Danny Jones Fernandinho coaching role Man City

According to reports, Ex-Manchester City star Fernandinho is said to have been offered a new coaching role back at the club.

The former captain and club legend is said to have been contacted directly by both Pep Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain regarding the job.

As per independent outlet and dedicated fan site CityXtra, Guardiola has invited Fernandinho to join his senior coaching staff, with the club’s outgoing football director formalising the offer.

It is yet unclear as to whether the Brazilian box-to-box midfielder turned deep-lying playmaker has accepted the proposal at this time, but it is believed he would become “an assistant coach in the Catalan’s first-team staffing structure.”

Having recently graduated from a club management course at FIFA back in January 2025 – earning him the qualification to work with teams in a professional backroom capacity – he is one of several recently retired City players who have pursued coaching badges, including Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta.

As a key cog in the middle of the park at the Etihad for many years, playing an integral part in what made those early Pep teams tick as they do with Rodri now the linchpin in the squad, you would assume the 39-year-old’s football intelligence would be an excellent addition to the first-team set-up.

To reinforce the veracity of these reports, speaking in a recent clip from the City Studios exclusive documentary, Life After Football, Fernandinho said: “I miss them, they miss me and, sometime soon, we’re going to be together.”

Whether or not he was referring to this role in particular, only time will tell, but logic would dictate he’s looking to get first-team coaching experience rather than simply returning as an ambassador for instance.

Although exact details are still scarce and we have no indication of what stage discussions are currently at, the consensus from the supporters seems to be that it’s pretty much a no-brainer.

Fernandinho only just retired at the end of 2024 after his time at Athletico Paranaense back in his home country came to an end.

While he may have been forced to change his playing style as he got older, in his prime he was still one of Man City’s best and most important players for a very long time, not to mention a standout in the Premier League full stop.

Making 383 appearances for the Blues, registering 26 goals and 29 assists from defensive midfield as he went on to win 14 trophies during his time in Manchester, Fernandinho is a City legend without question and we’d be surprised if anyone around the club wouldn’t like to seem his return in a coaching capacity.

Put it this way, if he does accept the opportunity, his knowledge and experience could prove crucial ahead of a tournament that is now bigger than ever this summer…

Manchester City could win the biggest prize money in football history this summer

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Featured Images — soccer.ru/Steffen Prößdorf (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sport

Watch Lowry’s ‘Going to the Match’ come to life at this new immersive experience in Salford

Danny Jones Danny Jones Lowry Theatre interactive Going to the Match art experience Salford

L. S. Lowry is one of Greater Manchester’s most famous sons, so much so that he has two statues, a hotel, as well as an entire theatre named after him, and now you can see one of his greatest works brought to life as part of an immersive new art experience over Salford Quays.

Just across from the main MediaCity campus, The Lowry Theatre is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a whole host of new additions, including what looks to be an exciting series of immersive gallery experiences entitled ‘LOWRY 360’.

Although world-renowned creative studio Layers of Reality has developed the large interactive exhibition room to bring almost any manner of artwork to life, the first couldn’t be anything else besides what is widely considered the local artist’s most iconic piece, Going to the Match.

Put simply, the new installation will fully surround audiences with the sights and sounds of Going to the Match, transporting them into the painting before they experience the original artwork firsthand.

This ambitious and starting new sensory experience has come to fruition thanks to the Law Family Charitable Foundation (LFCF), who support a wide variety of artistic, educational, cultural; health-based and environmentally-driven institutions like The Lowry.

It was LFCF who made the sizeable donation necessary for the theatre to purchase Lowry’s legendary depiction of matchday crowds and Northern life for a total of £7.8 million back in October 2022, bringing back home to Salford permanently.

Speaking on the immersive Lowry exhibit, Lowry’s CEO Julia Fawcett said: “This is one of the most ambitious and exciting projects we have ever undertaken.

“We’re transforming our gallery space in partnership with a world-class creative studio to create an unforgettable experience that will bring new audiences to L.S. Lowry’s work. We can’t thank Andrew Law enough for helping us realise this vision”

The best part of all is, since their goal in bringing the painting to Salford in the first place was for as many people to see it as possible, LOWRY 360 will remain completely FREE to access for its entire duration. Picture this but stood right in the middle of it as ‘The Matchstick Man’s world comes to life around you:

Layers of Reality is known for creating virtual and immersive experiences revolving around everything from Frida Kahlo and Salvador Dali to Tutankhamun, so you can trust in the pedigree being brought to the Lowry Theatre.

Moreover, this isn’t the only thing on at the Lowry during their 25th-anniversary programme by any means: families will be drawn to a free exhibition of Quentin Blake’s illustrations, featuring his most beloved characters and even a special portrait of the man himself drawn by Blake.

The Promenade Gallery will be transformed into a large-scale mural by French artist, Camille Walala; Manchester-born writer Jeannette Winterson will be hosting an insightful lecture on what makes Lowry’s world and history so special.

Visitors will also have an opportunity to see the new production of James Graham’s Olivier Award-winning play, Dear England, with a rewritten ending following the European Championships in 2024. There’s all this and plenty more to be found on the Lowry events page.

An award-winning play about England men’s football team is coming to Greater Manchester

Touching on the rest of the 25th-anniversary events, Fawcett went on to add: “We’re deeply committed to reaching out to the local community and our learning and engagement programmes have been at the centre of our mission for the past two and a half decades.

“Gods of Salford takes this to a new level, combining social impact with the creation of an ambitious, challenging and professional production. It will foster new skills, create pathways into the arts for disadvantaged young people and sell tickets!”

“Over the past 25 years, Lowry has been on a remarkable journey. An ambitious plan to create a new home for arts and culture in the North West at the turn of the millennium is today the most visited attraction in Manchester and the cultural heart of one of Europe’s most successful regeneration projects.

“We are marking the moment with a spectacular programme that showcases the very best art and theatre. 2025 promises to be Lowry’s biggest and best year as we set our sights on the next 25.”

Hear, hear. LOWRY 360 opens on Saturday 3 May, so make sure to visit when you can – you can grab your free tickets HERE.

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Featured Images — Press Shot (supplied)/John Hickey-Fry (via Flickr)

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