Hundreds of tributes to Marcus Rashford left at his defaced mural have been removed and will be preserved at a library and on a virtual 'Wall of Hope'.
The mural of the Manchester United and England striker in Withington in south Manchester was defaced following the Euro 2020 final shoot-out defeat to Italy earlier this month.
Rashford and team-mates Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, were targeted for racist abuse on social media after their missed penalties in the tense shoot-out.
Manchester residents redecorated Rashford's mural with hearts and messages calling the player a 'hero' and a 'role model' after the artwork was defaced with graffiti in what Greater Manchester Police called a 'racially aggravated' act of vandalism.
The messages will be preserved in a virtual 'Wall of Hope', as well as a new 'Hope Beats Hate' mural at nearby Kingsway Football Club, commission by Withington Walls in partnership with BT's Hope United campaign.
Hundreds of tributes to Marcus Rashford left at his defaced mural have been removed and will be preserved at a library and on a virtual 'Wall of Hope'
The mural, in Withington in south Manchester, was defaced after Rashford missed a penalty during the Euro 2020 final shoot-out defeat to Italy earlier this month
Rashford said: 'At one of my lowest points, the outpouring of support around this mural really lifted me and I'm truly grateful for that.
'It reinforced my belief in the strength of community and the endless pictures being shared of visits left me feeling really overwhelmed.
'I wanted to capture that feeling and bank it for more people to experience and am grateful to BT for enabling me to do that.
'These messages are not just mine. They belong to everyone. And I hope they can bring joy to many for months to come.'
Withington Walls founder Ed Wellard said: 'The response to the vandalism of the Rashford mural has been incredible.
'What started with one small act of positivity, with those first hearts and messages of love and respect, inspired thousands more messages on the wall and online.
'Love drowned out the hate making us all feel more hopeful.
'This project is rooted in the community and it has been great to work with the Hope United to make a positive impact here in South Manchester, and keep spreading the love.'
People have left written notes, messages on paper love hearts and England flags and tops on the mural in support of Rashford, who was racially abused online in the aftermath of England's defeat
Residents had wasted little time in rushing to cover up the abuse with hundreds of positive notes and messages praising the England star - including terms such as 'hero', 'inspiration' and 'role model'
