Star football players can often find themselves at the centre of bad publicity in our daily newspapers and on television.

Congratulations, however, must go, to Manchester United and England striker Marcus Rashford who has taken up the role of meals champion, helping to prevent those children living in poverty going hungry during the half-term.

There has of course been much coverage and debate on whether MPs should have voted to extend the free school meals.

On the one hand, in support of the voting result, you could point to the huge government support given to businesses and its employees by way of the furlough scheme, numerous grants, the additional £9.3billion to the welfare state and assistance to schools and the NHS amounting to £200billion in government spending since March.

The flip side of this debate, apart from the obvious, is that these are unprecedented times.

The country is vastly in debt to the tune of £2trillion and with “borrowing still increasing”.

Therefore, would a favourable vote for the free meals really have made much difference in the great scheme of things?

One final thought though, I understand that there are 559 footballers with an average wage of £240,000 per week.

Wouldn’t it be nice if these premier players, receiving eye-watering salaries, stepped in to the void to provide some financial help to our young during these worrying times.

STEVE BUCKLEY

Borman Close, Leigh

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