Marcus Rashford forced Boris Johnson into a humiliating U-turn over child food poverty and Raheem Sterling is a key voice for black players tackling football's racist undercurrents.
But England legend Viv Anderson fears both standard-bearers in the fight for equality could be lost if the game fails to grasp the nettle.
The resignation of FA chairman Greg Clarke, after his car-crash appearance before a parliamentary committee, exposed the enduring fault lines between administrators with entrenched attitudes and black players.
Anderson believes Rashford and Sterling could be hugely influential voices at boardroom level in the corridors of power at Wembley in future.
But former England defender Joleon Lescott warned Clarke's departure was not going to improve diversity at the FA.
And Anderson insists English football cannot afford to fail another generation of black players, saying: “The guys who experienced hateful racism from the terraces, and had bananas thrown at them, were trailblazers.
“What they went through gave Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford a platform to speak out as they do so effectively now.
“Rashford has embarrassed the Government into feeding hungry kids and he is such an impressive young man we need to make sure he stays within football to help the next generation with guidance.
“But if he can't see any real progress with pathways towards the top jobs for black players when he retires, is he going to stick around when the route to leadership is blocked?
“Hopefully he will have made enough money from his playing career to retire to his own island.
“And unless we seek opinions and listen to players as important as Marcus and Raheem, instead of staying in the game as a major influence, they might decide their desert islands are more rewarding.”
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