Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has become one of the front runners to win the 2020 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award following his remarkable charity efforts.
In partnership with food poverty and waste charity FareShare, the England international has helped to raise £20million during the coronavirus pandemic in order to provide three million meals to vulnerable people across the United Kingdom.
Rashford has vowed not to stop campaigning until "no child in the UK has to worry about where their next meal is coming from" and on Monday issued a powerful open letter to the Government urging them to reconsider the decision not to offer free school meal vouchers to vulnerable children during the summer.
"I would be doing myself, my family and my community an injustice if I didn’t stand here today with my voice and my platform and ask you for help," he wrote.
Rashford has been widely praised for his charitable efforts, last month winning a special recognition award from the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester, Eamonn O’Neal, for "outstanding activity and contribution to the community".
Many have called for the 22-year-old to at least be made the Sports Personality of the Year, with the latest odds from Betfair showing him as the second favourite for the prestigious prize at 7/2, ahead of the likes of Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and reigning Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Rashford's odds were previously as long as 150/1, while they were cut down to 80/1 by the start of June.
Boxer Tyson Fury remains the favourite to win the prize - awarded in 2019 to England cricketer Ben Stokes - for 2020 after his stunning victory over Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas in February that saw him regain his status as a world heavyweight champion.
The award - first given in 1954 - is traditionally voted for by the public via phone and online from a pre-determined shortlist on the night of the annual ceremony held in December.
This year's event is likely to look a little different given that the world of sport has largely been in shutdown over recent months due to the impacts of Covid-19.
