Of course, we all know the Wythenshawe-born Manchester United and England star has been making a name for himself on the football pitch and scoring impressive goals since he was a teenager, but it has been his ongoing work off the field to end child food poverty, stand up against the government, challenge racism and prejudice, inspire people across the globe, and ultimately give a voice to the voiceless that has seen him really shine since 2020.
It’s what earned him thousands of new fans, countless accolades, and an MBE in the process – and now, it’s also what’s seen him take the reins as the guest-editor and star of the Beano.
The 24-year-old footballer has been immortalised in cartoon form on the front cover of the ever-popular children’s comic, and said he “jumped at the chance” to guest-edit a one-off edition too when it was pitched to him.
Rashford also appears throughout the magazine, and is drawn alongside iconic characters like the Bash Street Kids, Billy Whizz, and Bananaman.
In his special guest-edited edition of the world’s longest-running comic, Rashford makes sure to urge all his young readers to “embrace their differences”, and celebrate “all the things that make us unique”.
Breaking news! 😱 😁
We are excited to announce @MarcusRashford as guest editor of our special issue in stores next week! ⚽️
He revealed in his editor’s letter that his favourite thing about the Beano is how “brings together all sorts of different children,” adding: “Instead of our differences dividing us, we embrace them here and we find strength in them.
“Nobody is a success in football without good teammates, and that’s true in life as well.
“Everybody needs to build a team of allies to have fun with and speak up for what’s important. Our voice is strong alone, but when our voices come together, we are powerful. When we fight for things that are important together, we can make progress a lot quicker than by ourselves. Asking for help is no weakness. Asking for help to achieve things quicker is a superpower.
“Finding your voice doesn’t have to be difficult. It can be as simple as having the confidence to stand up for something you believe in, or to champion someone else and their difference.
“Your journey is your strength, and everyone has something valuable to contribute.”
The 24-year-old footballer has been immortalised in cartoon form on the front cover of the children’s comic / Credit: Beano
The special edition of Beano celebrates the launch of Rashford’s new book, You Can Do It: How to Find Your Voice and Make a Difference, which has been co-written with Carl Anka and published by Macmillan Children’s Books.
The special guest editorship is also part of NatWest’s Thrive programme – created in partnership with Rashford and the National Youth Agency – and aims to help six-16 year olds become more financially confident and realise their full potential through a series of interactive group workshops and peer-to-peer sessions.
For each copy of the special edition sold, 20p will be donated to the Marcus Rashford Book Club to help children access books.
Featured Image – Beano
Trending
A sneak peek at the first pour: Greater Manchester celebrates the return of Boddingtons
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester has every reason to drink and jubilate this Friday and toast the perfect excuse for an early dart as the first fresh pours in a new chapter for Boddingtons beer have been sunk.
And by’eck if ain’t still bloody gorgeous.
That’s right, in case you didn’t hear the latest news about ‘Cream of Manchester’, we can now officially and ever-so gladly confirm that Boddingtons Bitter is properly back on draught in the region.
With the iconic cask ale making a glorious return decades on from its glory days in the 1990s, the new and improved Boddies beer is flowing from the taps – just in time for the weekend, no less.
Yes, with local brewery and pub chain J.W. Lees taking over the manufacturing and distribution, leaving the Budweiser Group to take over the licensing, the updated recipe Boddingtons – which clocks in at a 4.0% ABV – is about to be rolled out across the 10 boroughs.
Better yet, with five native pubs having already reinstalled honey yellow and black pumps, and with Lees looking to deliver it to the ale-loving masses across the North West, this could be the biggest Manc comeback since, well, those two lads from Burnage…
Speaking of: we were invited along to Founder’s Hall on Albert Square (formerly Duttons and now home to every one of the brand’s beers, not to mention serving as a tribute to John Lees himself), for a special ceremony to celebrate the inaugural public pints of Boddies being poured.
Let’s just say we were honoured to be part of the grand resurrection.
Obviously, there have been some holdouts hanging onto the classic Mancunian brew, and we certainly had fun trying to track them down over the past couple of years, but we’re just glad we don’t have to do as much work to find one now.
Managing Director of JW Lees, William Lees-Jones, said on the relaunch: “When I joined JW Lees in 1994, Boddingtons was ‘The Cream of Manchester’ and we were in awe of their position in leading the cask beer revolution.
“We’re proud to bring it back home, starting with Founder’s Hall, and we’re planning to restore Boddington’s as one of the UK’s leading premium cask beers, particularly here in the North West.” Well said, sir.
Available from Founder’s Hall, The Black Friar in Salford, Stables Tavern; Sams Chop House, The Circus Tavern, Oxford Road Tap, Piccadilly Tap and Victoria Tap from today, as well as Corbières and Stockport pubs like The Crown and The White Lion, we can’t wait to see Boddingtons take over the nation.
In the meantime, why not look back at the storied history behind one of our finest exports?
Subway launches make-your-own jacket potato concept ‘Spudway’ across UK
Emily Sergeant
Subway is finally launching its viral make-your-own jacket potato concept ‘Spudway’ at all its restaurants in the UK.
That’s right – you can now walk into any Greater Manchester Subway and order a jacket potato instead of a sandwich, and you get to choose exactly what goes on top of it.
Britain has always been a nation of ‘jacket fanatics’, with almost half of Brits claiming the spud to be a British cultural icon, but according to new research by Subway, it’s been found that nearly a quarter (23%) of us have argued with family and friends over how to prepare or serve one.
So it’s fair to say that, yes, us Brits do love ourselves a jacket potato, and this is why ‘Spudway’ is launching nationwide.
The UK-wide rollout of Spudway comes after it was trailed in select sites earlier this year, and then proved so popular that the trail was extended to include more locations.
Now, those fluffy jacket potatoes are available everywhere.
You can choose topping options like the simple Cheese & Beans or Tuna Mayo, or you can opt for Subway specialities like Meatball Marinara, and Chicken Tikka, but the beauty of Spudaway is it’s all fully customisable.
This means you can pick, quite simply, from whatever you fancy at the protein and salad counters, and finish it with your choice of Subway’s wide selection of signature sauces.
“The nation’s love of Jacket Potatoes is unparalleled,” commented Cathy Goodwin, who is the Interim Director of Culinary & Innovation Subway EMEA.
Subway has finally launched its make-your-own jacket potato concept ‘Spudway’ all across the UK / Credit: Subway
“The enthusiasm we’ve seen on social media and the strong demand from our guests throughout the trial made it clear that Spudway deserved a permanent place on our menu.
“Made with British potatoes, Irish salted butter, a double portion of cheese, and fully customisable with any of our many toppings, Spudway is the perfect freshly-made, high-quality lunch choice.”
Spudway jacket potatoes are freshly baked in-store daily and can be enjoyed on their own, or as part of a meal deal – which includes a spud, drink, plus crisps or a cookie.
Emily Sergeant -
27th July 2022 
