Manchester United and England star Marcus Rashford has extended his long-term sponsorship deal with Nike. The sportswear brand has also pledged a ‘significant financial contribution’ towards the 23-year old’s charity efforts. This news was also confirmed by his management company D N May Sports Management on social media.
How long has Marcus Rashford been signed with Nike?
Rashford signed with Nike when he was just 11 years old. The 12-year partnership was under significant threat as Puma were said to be frontrunners trying to convince him to follow the steps of other star players like Neymar by signing with them, with other sportswear firms also interested.
Marcus Rashford’s work with the community outside of football has helped raise his profile nationally and internationally. His campaign to get school meals for underprivileged children outside of school term time turned government policy around on two occasions in the past year has garnered him praise internationally.
Along with helping society, these efforts have made Rashford even more marketable as a public figure who transcends sports, into the political and cultural sphere. The English forward has also featured in TIME magazine’s list of 100 most influential people. The economic details of Rashford’s deal with Nike are not revealed, but these figures are likely to be significant due to the growth of Rashford on and off the pitch.
Nike has become very picky when it comes to investing money in players through sponsorship deals. Many big-name players across different sports have signed lucrative deals with Nike. One of the biggest names to leave Nike was Neymar. The sportswear brand parted ways with Neymar last year after he refused to cooperate in investigation as the company probed an employee’s claim that he sexually assaulted her. Puma paid Neymar a reported $30 million a year and was reported to be preparing a lucrative offer for Rashford. Nike will be relieved that they managed to get the signature of Rashford. As per Athletic, Nike continues to focus on young and upcoming talents like Rashford and Kylian Mbappe to be the face of brand.