Marcus Rashford admitted he was "overwhelmed" and "lost for words" at the outpouring of support for him after his penalty miss against Italy on Sunday.
The England forward was subjected to sickening racist abuse in the aftermath of the Euro 2020 final defeat, while a mural dedicated to him in Withington, Manchester, where he grew up, was defaced and had to be covered over.
Since then, local residents have flocked to the mural to post messages and decorations over the coverings in a positive display of unity with the Man Utd star.
Now, pupils from his former school, Button Lane Primary in Wythenshawe, have penned touching, heartfelt letters to Rashford, who has inspired so many with his fight against child food poverty, as much as his football.
One girl called Elene, aged 10, wrote: "I know times have been rough. I’m here to tell you how amazing you truly are. There’s no need for these racist, abusive comments.
“I bet if people were angry at you for missing a penalty then they will get over it and don’t forget we’re very proud of you.”
Another, named Gracie, echoed the thoughts of her classmate, before adding: "Don’t listen to the hate you get and keep your head up.”
Rashford recently shared his tips to success with children across the nation in a book titled: 'You Are a Champion: How to Be the Best You Can Be'.
And one pupil, Linda, was keen to remind him of the key message as she insisted England would "smash" the World Cup qualifiers ahead of the next major tournament in 2022.
"You need to believe, like what your book told me," she wrote. "A good rest or sleep will help.”
Alongside the letters published by Inews, class teacher Ms Roberts said: "He’s a role model to the pupils and to the staff and parents, he has made a massive difference in many ways.
"If you read some of the letters the children have written, they talk about how his actions have impacted on their life and how he’s inspired them and makes them want to be a better person.”
Rashford was thrown on as a last minute substitute during Sunday's 1-1 draw with the specific task of taking one of England's penalties in the shootout.
But the 23-year-old's effort agonisingly came back off the foot of the post, leaving Rashford with his head in his hands.
Writing in an emotional statement on his Instagram page after the defeat, Rashford said: "I’ve always backed myself for a penalty, but something didn’t feel quite right.
"A penalty was all I’d been asked to contribute for the team. I can score penalties in my sleep, so why not that one?
"All I can say is sorry. I wish it had of gone differently.”
It's been a difficult campaign for him, in which he has struggled with numerous ongoing injuries which date back two years, and he is now set to miss the start of next season as he undergoes surgery on a shoulder problem.
But Rashford expressed his thanks to all those who had been in touch with nice words of encouragement and condolence, as he expressed his pride in his roots and insisted he would return with a bang.
“I can take critique of my performance all day long, my penalty was not good enough, it should have gone in but I will never apologise for who I am and where I came from.
"The messages I’ve received have been positively overwhelming and seeing the response in Withington had me on the verge of tears. The communities that always wrapped their arms around me continue to hold me up.
“For all the kind messages thank you. I’ll be back stronger. We’ll be back stronger.”
.jpg?w=600)
