Inspiring to both adults and children alike, this easily accessible book has so much modern appeal. Informative, motivating and encouraging, you can hear Marcus' authentic voice on each page without patronising or sounding sentimental.
Broken down into bite-size chunks, this is perfect for even the most reluctant reader.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of You Are a Champion: How to Be the Best You Can Be by Marcus Rashford MBE and Carl Anka.

I was really, really happy to be approved to review this book. As a 27 year old, I am not the target demographic for this (I was going to say self-help) self- champion book, but I absolutely love Marcus Rashford.

I have been a Manchester United supporter for as long as I can remember. Right from being a kid who had no real interest in football other than wearing a 'Rooney' Manchester United shirt and a pair of total 90's to mischievously challenge my very passionately Liverpool-supporting Dad, to being an adult, who, through watching and learning about the game with my partner has made me a big fan of the game and the players.

Since really getting in to football and Manchester United, Rashford has been one of my big favourites. Yes, he's a great player, but for me its always the sportsmanship and etiquette on the pitch that turns a player in to one of my favourites. Marcus is the guy that helps someone up when he's done a bad tackle, Marcus is the guy that crosses himself and points up to the sky where his Nan is looking down on him before walking on to the pitch, Marcus is the guy who supports, congratulates and applauds winners when he is on the losing side. Marcus Rashford is just a bloody good guy.

Then to really cement his place in my favourite players list, he spends his time raising over £200m for kids across the country so they can eat over the school holidays, as well as countless other donations, campaigns and charity events/activities. MARCUS RASHFORD IS A BLOODY GOOD GUY.

So, now I've gushed about Rashford, let's talk about his book. You might think I'm bias now because of my fondness for the young footballer, but I hope (if you read my reviews) you will believe thats not the case.

I thought this book was really great. Really, really great. I can only imagine what kind of perspective this book would have given me if it were handed to me as a young child. I'm 27, and this book has put given me some amazing lessons on confidence and believing in yourself, so I really hope the younger generation read this book, or have it read to them because the advice, lessons, and words inside are so important to growing up both as an individual and as a member of something bigger, whether that be a community, a family, a team etc.

I work as a tutor for a company who provide Day Services to disabled adults of all ages. After reading my eARC, I have already added this book to my reading group list, because I have some students in mind who would love to hear these words of encouragement and inspiration from a man like Marcus Rashford.

Marcus talks about his life, community, school, family, friends, as well as his career in football. He speaks about his ups and downs, providing brilliant advice from himself and important people in his life throughout.

This was a really wonderful read, and one that would help any kid looking to achieve greatness and realise they can do anything if they put enough work in.

Currently unable to read as cannot access on my phone for some reason. Trying to find a work around. Have tried to download pdf and send to myself without opening to see if I can access it on the laptop. Will update review if I manage.

I want to show you how you can be a champion in almost anything you put your mind to.

Marcus Rashford MBE is famous worldwide for his skills both on and off the pitch – but before he was a Manchester United and England footballer, and long before he started his inspiring campaign to end child food poverty, he was just an average kid from Wythenshawe, South Manchester. Now the nation's favourite footballer wants to show YOU how to achieve your dreams, in this positive and inspiring guide for life.

Written with journalist Carl Anka, You Are a Champion is packed full of stories from Marcus’s own life, brilliant advice and top-tips from performance psychologist Katie Warriner. It will show you how to be the very BEST that you can be.

It shows kids how to:
- Be comfortable with who you are – you can't be a champion until you're happy being you!
- Dream big
- Practise like a champion
- Get out of your comfort zone and learn from your mistakes
- Navigate adversity in a positive way
- Find your team
- Use your voice and stand up for others
- Never stop learning
An inspirational read! Recommend this!

An outstanding book from a true role model - in every sense of the word - that will be so inspirational for young people today. Although it might be a little young for my Sixth Formers, I know this will be life changing when put in the right hands.

I have nothing but admiration for Marcus Rashford. He is such an inspiring young man and a wonderful role model for so many young people and has helped to raise awareness and shine a light on some important issues that children today are faced with.
This book is absolutely fantastic and just brilliant at inspiring youngsters to achieve their potential and not to give up in the face of adversity or difficulty and to be the best person you can be. My son absolutely loved reading this as well.

Sadly I was unable to download this. ( not available to kindle or NetGalley app). However, having read the synopsis, I will definitely be looking out for a copy in the shops. I know many children in my class will enjoy reading this as we’ve had discussions about how Marcus Rashford is truly our national champion. I’m giving 4 Stars in anticipation!

I found this an extremely accessible book that should appeal to more than young football fans. It's well written and done in a way that avoids being patronising to the intended audience, a neat trick in itself. I really liked the fact that he talks about failing at things as being ok, a normal part of life that we all go through and can help us achieve more in the future. It's a very positive book and Marcus comes across as a really nice guy. This should do very well in our libraries.

It’s great to see a book aimed at positively encouraging pre teens (probably predominantly boys in honesty) in both their mental health and ability written not by an unrelatable person but from a young footballer who many will aspire to and actually (hopefully) listen to. It’s written in an approachable style, plenty of illustrations but not so they take over the book simply enough to break up the text and there’s also a great recap at the end of each chapter. Marcus tries to relate things to his own experiences as much as possible and offers lots of positive repartition to help the key messages stick.

There are very few positives that have come out of this Covid-19 pandemic, but one of them is the emergence of footballer Marcus Rashford as a role model for children. Well, everyone really. Besides being a successful footballer with Manchester United and England, Marcus campaigned against child hunger and homelessness and he forced the government to change its mind with regard to food vouchers for disadvantaged children. His philanthropic ventures earned him an MBE medal in 2020.

Coming from a humble background himself, Rashford uses his platform to help children in another way, too. As he didn't read properly until he was seventeen, he wrote this self-help book (with the aid of a journalist Carl Anka) to help promote a book club in order to help underprivileged children enjoy the 'escapism of reading'. He plans to distribute 50,000 free books with the aid of MacMillan Publishers via the book club. A role model indeed.

This book is aimed at 9 to 12 year olds, many of whom are exactly like Rashford was at their age. He tells of his own childhood, how it was difficult for his large family to deal with day to day issues and how they coped with the help of each other. At this pivotal age as children enter secondary school, Rashford shows how they can reach their potential by shaping their own destiny via acceptance, goal setting, learning and hard work. He demonstrates what he did as a child to help him reach the dream of playing for his favourite football team.

The use of different types and sizes of fonts along with dynamic illustrations makes this an easy book to read. Children will identify with it, especially those who have done something a little bit naughty, as Rashford uses his mischievous capers as life lessons. Warm and homely, I can see young people wanting to read this book because it is written by a very successful footballer. The advantage is that this is their self-help book.

I don't know how many readers will end up as successful as Marcus Rashford, but if they take on half of what he says, they will make a great start and develop a good attitude to life. The only thing wrong with Rashford is that he plays for Manchester United instead of Liverpool. But hey, you can't have everything in life.

​Recommended for all secondary school-aged people, and beyond.