MANCHESTER United striker Marcus Rashford said he was only beginning his battle against child food poverty after he was honoured by the Football Writers’ Association (FWA) for his campaign yesterday.

Rashford successfully lobbied the government into a U-turn over its free school meals policy during the first coronavirus lockdown and has again led the way this month after poor-quality food parcels were sent out to families.

Rashford has now been honoured with the FWA 2021 Tribute Award in recognition of campaign, which the association said went beyond sport.

“We are at the beginning of what I see as a long journey,” Rashford said in an interview on the FWA website.

“I am definitely not at the stage of relief yet — I feel that there is a lot more which needs to be done and a lot more steps which need to be taken forward.

“It is about what is next in the chapter of these children’s lives,” he said.

Former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson paid a personal tribute to Rashford’s “truly amazing achievement.”

The 79-year-old told the FWA: “He has shown great humility, has shown courage to do what he did, so this achievement is well deserved and should be recognised with what he has done.”

And Rashford, who came through the United youth ranks, credited Ferguson for helping to encourage his campaign.

“Probably when other people in sports were telling me not to do it and just focus on football, he said if I believed in that, and I believe it is the right thing to do, then he is behind it,” Rashford said.