Man Utd's Marcus Rashford defends himself against tabloid hit piece | OneFootball

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford took to social media to pre-emptively defend himself against a tabloid hit piece which had threatened to publish a photo of the footballer with an unnamed rapper.

Rashford did not identify the individual and strongly insisted that he had no existing or subsequent connection to him aside from posing for a picture.

"Been contacted today by a tabloid informing me that they plan to publish a photo of me with a rapper apparently taken over a year ago," the United wrote on Instagram. "I want to make it clear I have never seen this photo, I do not know this person, and I am not friends with him.

"Like most footballers if someone asks for a photo with me, I will never refuse but I am obviously not able to do a background check on every individual that asks me for a photo.

"Can I please urge the tabloids rather than focusing on me, to use their platforms to help raise positive awareness on the many charities and individuals that work daily throughout the UK to tackle knife crime to prevent more families suffering tragic loss."

Rashford concluded his post with the message: "My deepest sympathy goes to the family of Jimmy Mizen."

Jimmy Mizen died outside a bakery in south London on 10 May 2008 when he was 16 after being hit with a glass dish which severed an artery in his neck. Jake Farhi, who was 19 at the time, was convicted of the murder in 2009 and sentenced to life with a minimum term of 14 years.

Released in 2023, Farhi has recently come under investigation from the Ministry of Justice after reports claim that he has released music under the stage name TEN referencing Mizen's murder, per the BBC.

Jimmy Mizen's parents, Margaret and Barry, set up the Mizen Foundation as a charitable entity to help "build safer and more peaceful communities".