United star Marcus Rashford charters Boeing 737 to fly fiancee to New York

Manchester United star Marcus Rashford chartered a Boeing 737 to whisk fiancee Lucia Loi to New York for a romantic break, it was revealed today.

The plane – which cost £240,000 to hire – normally carries over 125 passengers. A source told The Mirror: "It was a grand gesture. Marcus is loved up."

The footballer and Lucia, both 25, enjoyed the trip last month after he was ruled out of England’s games due to injury.

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He shared a few snaps of their trip to the Big Apple online – including a picture of them posing by a fountain in Central Park.

Marcus and Lucia met at school in Greater Manchester when they were just 15. The couple got engaged last May.

Lucia, who has a degree in advertising and brand management, has previously travelled with Marcus to tournaments such as the World Cup.

Some football fans criticised the timing of their Manhattan trip – while the Three Lions played Euro qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine.

But boss Gareth Southgate said: "Once Marcus is ruled out of the squad, it’s entirely up to him how he spends his time."

Marcus – Manchester United’s top scorer this season with 28 goals – is currently injured after he limped off the pitch after a recent game against Everton.

The forward won national acclaim during the pandemic in June 2020 when he launched a campaign to feed the most vulnerable children in society.

As a child, Marcus relied on breakfast clubs and free school meals when he was growing up in south Manchester. He joined United’s youth set-up aged seven and now earns a reported £200,000 a week.

Rashford, who grew up in Withington before moving to Wythenshawe, famously forced the then prime Minister Boris Johnson into a